Press Releases   MSA in the News (Reprints)

Changes in MSA Executive Roles PITTSBURGH, PA - December 21, 2007 - Dr. Alfred A. Kuehn, CEO and Founder of Management Science Associates (MSA) in Pittsburgh PA, confirms recent changes in MSA executive roles. Cathy LoAlbo-Opsitnick, President of MSA since 2005, has added the role of CEO to that of President, and Kuehn will again become MSA's Chairman of the Board. Dr. Timothy W. McGuire, MSA's Board Chairman, will develop an MSA Chief Analytics Officer position, continue as Sr. EVP, hold the role of Board Vice-Chairman, and along with Cathy Opsitnick, Al Kuehn & Alec Boright, an MSA EVP, will remain as MSA's Office of the Executive. Patricia Stocke, MSA CFO & VP-Finance, a Board member since 2006, will serve as Secretary of the Board. Dr. Kuehn characterizes the changes as "…logical corporate evolution of functional activities and success over many years." MSA has grown in revenue in all but one year since its incorporation in 1963, and has been profitable continuously since 1987. Ms. Opsitnick is the 3rd MSA President & CEO, and Kuehn is one of only 3 Chairmen. Cathy, a Penn Hills Academic graduate with a Forbes Trail Data Processing Technical Certificate, became an MSA data processor and supervisor and was elected by MSA's employees to help organize its first Employee Committee in 1973. After 6 years at MSA, she joined Federal Home Loan Bank as programmer/analyst, and in the 1970s was one of the first to foresee and solve FHLB's potential future IT disruption due to the Y2K problem that plagued many organizations at the end of the 20th Century. Ms. Opsitnick, a University of Pittsburgh student, College of General Studies, earned a BA in Speech and Rhetoric while employed in IT, before running for public office in Verona Borough. On its Council for 8 years, she was Council President for one term before running for Mayor and serving in that role for four years. During her time in politics, Ms. Opsitnick attended Robert Morris University, earning an MS in Taxation. While self-employed as a tax analyst and practitioner, she also continued being engaged in business analysis and consulting. Cathy returned to MSA after an unsuccessful primary run in 1994 for the 33rd PA Legislative District seat. Her role was as Executive Consultant, analyzing MSA's corporate tax strategy, assisting development of a Medical Division and MSA's Military Processing services, RFP preparations, and filling roles of interim CFO & President of MSA PASS, an MSA spin-off providing process automation solutions to steel and other process-oriented firms. In 1998 she joined MSA as EVP and a founding member of its new Office of the Executive, and in 1999 became Chairman of the Board of MSA Focus, a role she retains in that UK subsidiary. She also helped reintegrate MSA PASS into MSA after MSA's 2nd CEO departed in 1997. In 2000 Cathy was promoted to Sr. Executive VP of MSA, and was then appointed President in 2005. She and Patty Stocke helped MSA establish a wholly owned subsidiary, MSA Information Technology (Shanghai) Ltd. (MITS) in China, which enabled MSA to counter effects of pressure on MSA and its clients to outsource operations, analytic services and IT to India. Cathy has helped develop several MSA business areas and served as interim head of some MSA divisions, including Media, IT and Medical, as well as having been CFO with all MSA Controllers reporting to her. Her oldest MSA legacy is having developed its 1st Industry database in the 1970s, with confidential integrated data used by all firms in an industry. Since 1975 all firms in some industries (e.g., food, tobacco, media, steel), have been supplied computer information services by MSA that can't be provided by Associations. This helps clients benefit from operating efficiencies, meeting Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) requirements, improving marketing success and integrating more accurate, timely, detailed industry data into sophisticated computer applications. According to Dr. Kuehn, "Cathy has been involved in practically every aspect of MSA and is strategic to its governance and growth. She understands MSA's business models, has developed, supported or assisted all MSA service divisions, understands the financial, tax and legal implications of regulatory requirements (SOx, HIPAA, etc) supported by MSA, and knows how new business ventures must be structured to fit into our corporate structure. Employees she hired at MSA in the 1970s are still here today, some playing key roles in the continuing growth, stability and profitability of the parent company and its foreign subsidiaries." Ms. Opsitnick resides in Indiana Township and has two children. Her son Zachary lives in Rochester, New York where he attended the University of Rochester to earn his Bachelor's Degree and then earned his Masters Degree in Secondary Education at Roberts Wesleyan College. Her daughter, Allison, is in her 2nd year at American University in Washington DC where she is currently a pre-med student. Cathy is a member of St Francis of Assisi Parish, serves on its Finance Committee, and is also a member of the Fox Chapel School District Technology Committee. About MSA Founded in 1963, MSA is a leader in the development of analytical software and information-based systems. MSA's core business competencies are the analysis as well as implementation of solutions for marketing and consumer buying behavior, business issues, knowledgeware, information management solutions and "industry services" for firms in consumer products, steel, media, pharmaceutical, communication and information services industries. With over 900 employees globally, MSA provides strategic solutions for over 300 major clients, including 68 Financial Times Global 500 organizations. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, since it was founded, but 97% of MSA's revenue has been from outside SW PA until recently when Pittsburgh-area sales began shifting upward. MSA has offices in NYC; Chicago; Atlanta; High Point NC; Shanghai, China; the UK; and Malaysia.