As chief financial officer of the Alzheimer's Association, Mark Leon is tasked with ensuring the Association's commitment to transparency, cross-functional collaboration and thoughtful business planning is incorporated into the organization's financial operations and aligned with the Association's mission to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia. He brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, finance, budgeting and investment management from his career spanning multiple industries, including associations, education and social services.
Prior to joining the Association, Leon was chief financial officer of The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, a social service organization serving the blind, visually impaired, disabled and veteran communities through comprehensive vision care and support services and advanced research, and was responsible for leading its financial, IT and facilities functions. During his tenure, he was instrumental in enhancing the organization’s finance function by introducing streamlined processes, leading the implementation of technology to optimize key financial activities, and increasing organization-wide understanding of budgetary planning and financial management.
His experience includes stints as chief financial officer for other national and international associations such as the American Library Association and the Million Dollar Round Table, as well as mission-driven organizations in community development, finance and education reform. Leon also served as a management consultant with Ernst & Young's Strategic Advisory Services group and Diamond Management and Technology Partners, now a part of PricewaterhouseCoopers. There, he worked with large for-profit corporate and public sector clients in initiatives ranging from operational and IT strategic planning to business process improvement and enterprise level systems implementation. Leon began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer, spending three years in Mali and Mauritania, West Africa, where he learned the power of grassroots advocacy and community-led change.
Leon earned his bachelor's of science degree in economics from Georgetown University and his master's of business administration in statistics and econometrics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a certified public accountant (CPA).