Alumni Success Stories

 

Consulting Magazine, the premier publication in the consulting industry, recently honored John Madera ’03 Marketing, as one of its inaugural “30 Under 30” award winners. Madera’s credentials as a rising star in the business world are clear. A senior consultant in BearingPoint’s energy practice, he set a firm record with an amazing 164 percent utilization rate last year!

“It’s quite the honor to be named to this list and I owe much of my success to Illinois State University and in particular the College of Business.  Every day in my job I find myself leveraging the education and tools I received from the COB to help global multi-billion dollar organizations resolve some of their most pressing issues,” said Madera.  “This award is very exciting to me and I wanted to share my news with the university that has given me the tools to succeed in today’s business world.” 

Read all about this outstanding alum online in Consulting Magazine.com.

---

Illinois State University recently announced its Outstanding Young Alumni Honorees. Among them was Stephen J. Rice '95, Marketing, who is Chief Financial Officer for Triumph Companies, Inc., in Newport Beach, California. Rice is an executive management professional with broad-based U.S. and international experience in a variety of industries, including real estate investment, management consulting, nonprofits, and technology. One of his earliest endeavors was developing hands-on training for database and systems management solutions that was used on six continents. He has served on senior-level teams for the past five years, specifically in CFO roles for multiple companies. His current company holds, or sold, $200 million in assets across multiple states.

Rice has a history of cost-saving interventions for companies and employees. At the Jockeys' Guild, he rescued $1.5 million in contracts by settling corruption allegations. Working with a customer in Belgium, he salvaged the $2 million account by resolving system configuration issues. From managing a $4 million self-funded benefit plan for more than 500 participants to negotiating a $3.5 million contract with California's former attorney general, Rice has proven a master at using his strategy, analysis, negotiation, and accounting skills to help others. He was active in the creation of Illinois State's Greater Denver Area Alumni Chapter.