About

F. Steven Pearl CPA
President & Managing Principal
The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 227
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As President and Managing Principal of The Oak Group, Steve Pearl is in charge of all executive planning and management decisions. Steve came to Oak in 1985 from the Chicago Board Options Exchange where he was a Member. Previously, he worked as Comptroller, F&I, and General Manager at one of the largest Chevrolet dealerships in the USA, AM&G Auto Retail. His first accounting experience was at Price Waterhouse, a company where he was a member of the Audit and Tax Staff. "I believe that my unique experience as a CPA, Auto Retailer, and Options Trader allows me to assist in helping clients to maximize profits in an ethical manner while controlling risk," he says.

Steve believes in leading by example: "I try to lead from the front by living up to the ideals that we expect from all in the company." He credits Oak's success to its longevity and appeal. "The Oak Group has been in business since 1975," he says. "There is stability in the company, its employees and its clients. This is indicative of a company people want to work for and do business with."

Steve received his BS in Accountancy in 1973 from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and passed his CPA exam the same year "on his first attempt," he adds.

John E. Peterson
President & Managing Principal
The Oak Group
480-513-8105
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As President and Managing Principal of The Oak Group, John Peterson is directly involved in executive management, long-range planning, day-to-day management and sales. John started at Oak in 1977 as one of the first sales representatives and moved into a management and equity position in the company within the first five years. His work ethic and willingness to assume responsibilty were fostered at an automobile dealership, where he began working at age 16 and worked his way up "from porter to general manager and almost all spots between."

As a leader, John subscribes to the same organizational tenets that cultivated his rapid career rise at Oak: reward merit and invest in employees. "We have a very talented crew of dedicated employees with very low turnover, which says Oak is a great place to work," he says.

Building and maintaining customers' trust is fundamental to Oak's success and can never be taken for granted. "I'd like our customers to know that we value their business and, most of all, their trust," says John. "We feel that we must earn their business and trust each day." Growing a business that is highly regarded in a competitive field is gratifying to John: "I am very proud of the positive reputation our company has earned throughout the industry."

John attended Louis University from 1970-1974 and Chrysler Management School and subsequently served as an F&I trainer for over a decade.

Peter Shiakallis
Administration Marketing Services
A Division of The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 255
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Since 1992, Peter has been a key team member of Oak Services.

His most current role is Executive Vice President of Sales, AMS. Peter oversees sales, marketing, product development, insurance and vendor management, compliance, and administration for this division.

Peter started his career in an auto retail management position. Coming to Oak as a Regional Manager, he was consistently one of the top sales producers and advanced to Vice President of Sales. He trained and worked with Oak staff on dealership profit development initiatives across Chicago and the Midwest.

"I am a strong relationship builder who has twenty years of product knowledge and who has a successful track record working with dealerships and agents. With a genuine love of the industry, I’m excited to build a profitable dealership base for agents across the nation."

Peter earned a Marketing degree from Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. He is AFIP Certified and Warranty Solutions Certified.

Eric Peterson
Executive Vice President of Sales
The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 254

Employed by The Oak Group since 1998, Eric Peterson is the Executive Vice President of Sales at The Oak Group. He works with clients to increase profitability through innovative programs and services. "I am responsible for developing new business opportunities through working with our representatives to meet the needs of our clients," Eric says. "I look forward to working everyday to meet with both our existing clients and prospective clients to review the ways to increase profitibility through compliant marketing practices."

Eric has been around the auto industry his whole life, having worked in auto dealerships in different capacities. "I have a great appreciation and passion for automobiles, which is a benefit when working with our dealer clients," he says. His experience working in the computer industry is also beneficial to his day-to-day interactions with clients. "Everything today is computer/web based," says Eric. "The knowledge I have gained while working in the computer industry has served both our clients and myself well."

Eric received his BA form North Central College in 1999 and has completed Oak Sales Training and the Oak Finance School. He is also AFIP Certified and Warranty Solutions Agent Certified.

Dennis Fry CPA
Chief Financial Officer
The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 230
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As the Chief Financial Officer of The Oak Group, Dennis Fry oversees all accounting and financial functions of the organization. Before coming to Oak, Dennis served as the Vice President of Finance for a durable medical equipment company for 7 years and, prior to that position, performed a variety of accounting and human resource functions for a company in the financial futures industry.

In his work, Dennis strives to foster an environment of cooperation which results in a more enjoyable workplace and, in turn, a more positive place to do business. Oak's success and expansion necessitate that the company be adaptive to growth while serving its customers' needs. Maintaining this balance is a priority for Dennis. "With the prospects of continued growth, it is important to work more efficiently," he says. "By designing procedures that make administrative tasks easier to perform, our staff can concentrate on the needs of our customers."

Dennis received his BA from Northern Illinois University and is a CPA and also passed his CPA exam on his first try. True to his profession, Dennis especially enjoys working with spreadsheets and has parlayed his skill at Microsoft Excel into becoming an accredited Excel developer. "I enjoy reading and am an avid baseball fan," says Dennis. "Go, White Sox!"

Bill Russ
Mechanical Claims Director
The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 251
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As Mechanical Claims Director for The Oak Group, Bill Russ is in charge of claims administration and serves as Oak's liaison to Agents and Dealers.

Bill has worked as an Automotive Technician, Dealership Service Director, and an Insurance Consultant. His practical experience in automobile diagnosis and repair and familiarity with all aspects of dealership operations make him eminently qualified for his current responsibilities at Oak and allow for prompt and efficient mechanical claims administration .

Bill takes great pride in being part of a company that was established in 1975 and "which continues to grow, expand and create new opportunities every day." He is a hands-on administrator who takes Oak's high level of dedication and commitment to its partners' success seriously.

Bill attended Southwest College, Chicago. In the past, he received National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and participated in Chrysler Dealer Management training.

Bill served as President of the Brookfield VFW Post #2868 Men's Auxiliary and as Mayor of Brookfield from 2001 - 2005. He is a member of the Mercedes Club of America.

Anna Morales
Warranty and Credit Life Manager
The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 221
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Anna Morales is the Warranty and Credit Life Manager at The Oak Group, where she has been employed since 2001. She worked for North American Insurance for four years before comng to Oak, where she supported the Mechanical Claims Payment processes for repair facilities throughout the country.

Anna takes pride in her work for The Oak Group, providing dealership implementation and operational support for warranty, service contract, and credit life products. "I am a very responsible person, and I love what I do at Oak," she says.

"I have been married for 15 years to my high school sweetheart," says Anna. "I have two beautiful kids. I enjoy running and reading. I love any kind of sports."

She is a graduate of Benito Juarez High School and received her undergraduate education through the Spanish Coalition for Jobs.

Elia Mendoza
Manager, Ancillary Product Administration
The Oak Group
630-833-9770 x 232
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Elia Mendoza manages the Administration departments for all Ancillary products and oversees the delivery of products and services to customers and vendors. Maintaining excellent customer service and meeting deadlines is a high priority for Elia. "My goal is to successfully handle all customer service problems or inquiries, and to effectively delegate assignments to better manage our team as a whole," she says.

Before joining the Oak team, Elia had 5 years of customer service and administrative experience at North American Insurance. Previously, Elia honed her management skills at a store, where she was responsible for organizing the inventory, reconciling accounts, and delegating responsibilitiesto other staff members.

"I enjoy coming to work at Oak," says this highly organized, energetic and proud mother of three boys. "My parents taught me to be a hard worker, and I bring that with me every day," she says. Elia's strong work ethic and her ability to multi-task and maintain particular attention to detail serve her well in her duties at Oak. Her ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels of responsibility is another asset.

Elia is a graduate of Benito Juarez High School and St. Augustine College in Chicago.