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Board of directors

Our Board brings strategic insight and
experience to every decision

Trusted Leadership. Measurable Impact.

The Northridge Group’s Board of Directors provides strategic guidance and governance rooted in decades of experience across business operations, finance, and enterprise leadership. Their diverse expertise ensures Northridge continues to deliver sustainable growth and measurable value for clients.

Meet Our board of directors

Photo of Therese Fauerbach, Co-Founder and Board Chair of The Northridge Group

Therese Fauerbach, Co-Founder & Board Chair

Therese K. Fauerbach is a respected business leader and entrepreneur with an extensive track record in international management and consulting. As Co-Founder, Board Chair, and former Chief Executive Officer of The Northridge Group, Ms. Fauerbach is known for delivering real-world, cost-effective, and executable solutions that drive profitability and measurable results.

Through a deep understanding of analytics and open dialogue, Ms. Fauerbach helps organizations simplify complex operational challenges and create attainable business strategies. She advises C-level executives across the Fortune 100 and has, on occasion, served as an interim executive. Under her leadership, Northridge has operated profitably every year since its inception.

Ms. Fauerbach earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Norbert College and an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. She serves on several boards, including DePaul University and The Cradle Foundation, one of the nation’s leading adoption agencies, and is a former Chair of The Chicago Network.

Photo of Daniel Fete, Board Member at The Northridge Group

Daniel Fete

Daniel Fete, most recently Chief Financial Officer of AT&T Communications, brings more than 30 years of experience in leadership, corporate development, strategy, financial services, real estate, and shared services. During his career at AT&T, he held several senior financial leadership roles overseeing acquisitions and managing a multi-billion-dollar capital investment program supporting the company’s infrastructure and technology.

Mr. Fete has served on multiple boards in the Telecommunications, Media & Technology sector. He currently sits on the Executive Advisory Committee of Ignite MindShift Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping underserved young people build personal leadership and growth mindsets. He has also served on the boards of the United Way of Northern New Jersey and the Finance Committee of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

Mr. Fete earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Photo of Joni Arison - NRG CEO

Joni Arison

Joni Arison joined The Northridge Group in 2023 as an Executive Advisor and was appointed President and CEO in 2024. Prior to joining NRG, she spent more than 35 years at AT&T, holding senior leadership roles across Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance.

She brings deep expertise in risk management, cost optimization, finance modernization, and business transformation, with a proven ability to lead organizations through large-scale modernization and digital transformation. Joni guides the strategic direction of Northridge, driving solutions that reduce complexity, enhance performance, and accelerate sustainable growth across operations, customer experience, and enterprise strategy.

Photo of Ann E. Ziegler, Board Member at The Northridge Group

Ann E. Ziegler

Ann E. Ziegler, most recently Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Committee Member at CDW, is a qualified financial expert with significant public company and audit and compensation committee experience. Prior to joining CDW, Ms. Ziegler held several executive positions at Sara Lee, spanning finance, strategy, and general management roles across both U.S. and international businesses.

Ms. Ziegler serves on the boards of Hanesbrands, Groupon, Wolters Kluwer, Revolution Foods, The Chicago Network, and the Smart Museum of Art. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William & Mary and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Photo of Jill Smart, Board Member at The Northridge Group

Jill Smart

Jill Smart retired from Accenture in 2014 after serving 10 years as Chief Human Resources Officer, where she led the full employee lifecycle for Accenture’s global workforce. In this role, she oversaw resource planning, recruitment, training and development, performance management, and succession planning, and served on the company’s Global Management Committee.

Jill is a Fellow and Director of the National Academy of Human Resources and a Fellow of the Human Resources Policy Institute. She serves on the Peer Roundtable for CHROs and is an emeritus member of the Gartner Global CHRO Board. Jill is also active with HR Policy Association, the RBL Institute, the G100 Talent Consortium, and HR50.

She was recognized by the National Academy of Corporate Directors (NACD) as an honoree of the 2022 Directorship 100™, and by HR Executive Magazine as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in HR and one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Chicago.

Jill has held numerous leadership roles with the University of Illinois, including Trustee of the University System (2015–2020), Director and Officer of the Alumni Association, and Chair of the Gies College of Business Dean’s Council. She also serves on the University’s Chicago Athletic Association Board and has taught as adjunct and guest faculty for programs at the University of Illinois and University of Michigan.

She is a Trustee of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, active in The Chicago Network, and previously served on the Board of Fenwick High School. Jill earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois.

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