Arditti Center for Risk Management

The Arditti Center for Risk Management is a research and educational center at DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2006, the center is named after Fred Arditti, a renowned economist, futures industry pioneer, and former Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) executive who also served on DePaul's finance faculty.
The center's primary mission is to promote excellence in risk management education, research, and practice. It aims to bridge the gap between industry and academia by organizing seminars, conferences, and programs for students, scholars, and professionals in the field of risk management.
== Establishment and Funding ==
The Arditti Center was established with a grant from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Trust in 2006. This funding reflects the center's strong ties to the CME Group, where Fred Arditti held significant positions throughout his career.
===History===
In 2016, the Arditti Center named Thomas Edwalds as executive director. In 2022, Mark Shore succeeded a retiring Ewalds, who transitioned from a man to a transgender woman under the name Cynthia Edwalds.
== Fred Arditti's Legacy ==
Fred Arditti, the center's namesake, had a distinguished career that spanned both academia and the financial industry. He served as the chief economist at the CME from 1980 to 1982, where he pioneered innovative futures contracts that transformed risk management practices. Notably, Arditti played a crucial role in developing the CME's Eurodollar Contract, which became the world's most actively traded futures contract.
After his initial tenure at CME, Arditti joined DePaul University's faculty in 1990. He later returned to CME in 1997 as senior executive vice president of planning and development. In this role, he was instrumental in organizing CME's business development structure and originated weather futures. He also led CME's electronic trading business, which now accounts for approximately 75% of the exchange's trade.
== Programs and Activities ==
The Arditti Center hosts various events and programs throughout the year, including:
* Seminars and conferences for students, faculty, and industry professionals
* Speaker series featuring industry experts
* Competitions for students
* Mentor programs connecting students with industry professionals
* An Executive-in-Residence series providing one-on-one interactions between students and seasoned executives
== Academic Offerings ==
The center supports DePaul's undergraduate Actuarial Science degree program, which prepares students to analyze and help organizations manage the financial consequences of risk and uncertainty.
== Industry Connections ==
The Arditti Center maintains strong ties to the risk management industry through its Advisory Board, which consists of senior industry leaders and alumni. These connections provide valuable guidance for the center's programs and support networking and recruitment opportunities for students.
Through its various initiatives and its connection to Fred Arditti's legacy at the CME Group, the Arditti Center for Risk Management continues to play a significant role in bridging the gap between academic research and practical applications in the field of risk management.
===Advisory Board===
* Randy Armknecht (MS '11), Managing Director, Emerging Technologies and Global Cloud Practice Leader, Protiviti 
* Marcia Banks, Associate Director, International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers 
* Mary McDonnell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, McDonnell & Associates 
* Tom O’Brien, Formerly with Medova, HILB, ROGAL, & HOBBS Aon (Retired)
* Peter O'Neill (BUS '85), Director, Risk Analytics, Archer Daniels Midland 
* Rich Mackey, Executive Vice President, Prime Trading, LLC 
* Michael Pedraja (BUS '90), Treasurer, Allstate 
* Herb Seitz (MBA '02), Global Head of Risk, Assurant 
* Mark Shore (BUS '87), Founder and Chief Research Officer, Shore Capital Research
* Suzanne Sprague, Managing Director, Credit Risk, Risk Policy, Banking and Solutions, CME Group 
* Kasi Paturi, Chief Executive Officer, GCSI 
* Reda Supe (MBA '01), Chief Credit Risk Officer, Synchrony Financial
== References ==
Category:DePaul University