At a glance

A Partner with Dopkins & Company, LLP, Ralph’s primary responsibility is providing a unique blend of consulting and compliance services to many of the firm’s clients. As an of-council member of the firm’s Leadership Committee, he actively participates in executing the many facets of the Dopkins “One Firm” vision.

Ralph has developed a unique expertise in the design and implementation of custom performance management and improvement solutions primarily for service-based entities. As a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, he has had significant experience using and teaching the Lean and DMAIC tool sets, strategic planning, activity-based cost/management, performance measurement, and other related performance improvement methodologies. Ralph has been published in the New York State CPA Journal and Canada’s Chartered Accountant and has been a featured speaker at events such as the Financial Tracking for Six Sigma conference sponsored by the International Quality & Productivity Center. The value stream costing method developed in his role as consultant to HSBC helped to win the Best Defect Elimination in Service and Transaction Award 2004. He joined Dopkins & Company in 2005.

A Certified Public Accountant licensed in New York, Ralph is active in the western New York community serving a variety of organizations in advisory and board member roles. To help keep his “right brain” active, he is blessed with active avocations as a published songwriter/composer and outdoor photographer.

Principal areas of expertise

• Change Management Facilitation
• Activity-based costing
• Lean/six sigma
• Process improvement
• Strategic planning
• Health care

Designations

• Certified Public Accountant
• Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

Professional affiliations and community service

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• New York Society of Certified Public Accountants
• SUNY Fredonia Business School Advisory Council
• Canisius College Council of Accountancy
• Amherst Chamber of Commerce Treasurer
• UB School of Management Center For Entrepreneurial Leadership
• Canopy of Neighbors
• Christ The King Seminary

Awards & Achievements

• Listed, Who’s Who in Banking and Finance, published by Business First of Buffalo
• Canisius College Bernard L Martin Award – 2015
• Canisius College Dr. Joseph R. Coppola Award – 2010
• Business First 2010 Health Care 50

Education

• B.A. in Psychology, cum laude from State University of New York, College at Fredonia
• M.B.A. in Professional Accounting from Canisius College

Speaking Engagements

• Presenter, Change Management, presented to Amherst Chamber of Commerce Emerging Business Leaders (September 2020)
• Panelist, Maximizing Efficiency As Employees Return to Work: A Lean Six Sigma Approach (June 2020)
• Panelist, Successful Organizational Change: Stories from the Road (November 2019)
• Panelist, Change Management: Executing Lasting Change within Organizations (May 2019 and June 2019)
• Presenter, Generational Diversity Awareness, Amherst Chamber of Commerce 2018 Emerging Business Leadership Program
• Presenter, Activity-based cost management principles/methods, New York Medical Group Management Association Seminar
• Presenter, Six Sigma Demystified! (A Person Centered Approach), Financial Managers Association (FMA) of Rehab Agencies 30th Annual Conference (Cooperstown, NY)
• Co-Presenter, Generational Diversity Awareness – A Key to Shaping Your Agency’s Future,  Financial Managers Association (FMA) of Rehab Agencies 30th Annual Conference (Cooperstown, NY

News & Events

• Ralph Jeswald and Andrew Reading publish an article on Change Management in Northeast Dairy Magazine

Videos

• Watch an encore presentation of Maximizing Efficiency As Employees Return to Work: A Lean Six Sigma Approach (June 2020)

Blog Posts

• Fill That Open Position with A Team . . . A Less-Costly Investment
• Relevance Regained With Sage Intacct “Statistical Accounts”
• Use Lean/Six Sigma (L/SS) and the DMAIC process to improve your month-end financial statement close process and drive real, sustainable change
• A Continuous Improvement Focus in Strategically Planning Your Medical Practice’s Future
• Get Ready For Real Change with Three Simple Questions
• Navigating a Changing Economy and Industry: Managing Profitability Through Lean/Six Sigma
• Best Practices to Determine Individual Customer Profitability