Creating Your Business Idea

Dan is one of the brightest individuals I've ever worked with. But more importantly, he is also a great person who inspires others to do the right thing no matter the circumstances. In my ten years working with Dan, I was continually inspired by his keen intellect and passion for developing other leaders both personally and professionaly. Dan has the unique ability to tap into a person's inner source of motivation in order to help them drive collaborative and meaningful business results with other senior leaders. Dan is very gifted in the art and science of combining business strategy with creativity and innovation in order to solve complex issues. He is also fun to be around!

Dan was a great person to have as my boss. He is an outstanding leader who called upon his variety of life experiences and expertise to provide guidance and direction. I always felt I could bring any issue (personal or professional) to Dan and he would be there "in my corner" offering advice and support. I really admire Dan's management style which places individuals and teams in optimum position to achieve the best results for any given situation.

Dan is a very creative and expansive thinker who gets other people excited and can talk others into, or out of, just about anything. He also has a great sense of humor and is really fun to work with. There will not be a dull or boring gathering if Dan is involved. A "quick start" kind of person, Dan dances on the edge and can be very innovative. At the same time, he is well grounded in experience and real accomplishments. He has all the qualities you would want in an effective facilitator or strategic planner.

I worked with Dan for nearly 10 years at the University of Chicago and was regularly impressed by his understanding of complex issues, his creativity in solving problems, and his insights into human nature and management challenges. He was a great colleague and brings a level of energy, innovation and compassion to all that he does.

I worked as a member of Dan Tepke's Group Insurance Strategy Task Force at Golden Rule Insurance Company from 1996 to 1998 when we were both Senior Vice Presidents there. Dan successfully led this effort using integrity,credibility, vision and enthusiasm. He led the team by example and his excellent interpersonal skills helped generate a connection with the Task Force members, a teamwork atmosphere and great results. I can recommend Dan in an unqualified manner for any type of strategy or executive coaching work.

As a member of the North Park University Board of Trustees, I had several opportunities to participate in strategic exercises and discussions led by Dan. Dan has an excellent background in organizational process and strategy, and also stays current with new developments in the field. He's also a really great and fun person to be around!

It was a great privilege to work with Dan on the Senior Team at North Park University. We worked particularly closely during the time we shared the interim presidency of North Park University. Dan is a wise, strong, and insightful man. He is very eager to learn and to grow. He is open to criticism, willing to listen, and does not let differences of opinion cloud his view. He keeps his eye on the prize. He was an immense help to me in planning the future of our school and in analyzing and engaging trends that could threaten our health or even our survival. He is creative, personally engaging, and deeply committed to the success of the organization he serves and the personal success of his colleagues. If the chance arose to work closely with Dan again, I would jump at it. Dan will tell you the truth--even the hard truth you need to hear to be successful. I can assure you that you will always be well served by my friend and colleague Dan Tepke.

Having known and collaborated with Dan over 10 years as he has played the role of mentor and advisor, he amazes me with his talent for solving complex problems, strategically engaging across a range of industries/disciplines and developing high performance teams. He has the rare ability to be a visionary who can also rigorously examine concepts and translate ideas into action.

Dan one of those rare individuals who has excellent big-picture strategic skills but also is very pragmatic. He is able to focus on the nuts and bolts required to keep an organization thriving in the short term. Along with this, he's an excellent people person and a lot of fun to work with.

Dan Tepke is an outstanding academic administrator, chief financial officer, coach, professor, mentor and friend. I have known Dan since 1973 when he was my football coach at the University of Chicago. We have been friends and colleagues ever since. We jointly served clients together at U.S. WEST (now Qwest) and we taught together as faculty members at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in the University's innovative new products laboratory. Dan is a consumate professional, a skilled product innovator, a terrific motivator and a great friend. He is a true, multi-dimensional professional. He succeeds at whatever he seeks to accomplish.