FGM Architects Hires Charles J. Mueller as Chief Financial Officer

Mueller’s focus will be driving business transformation through financial planning

Westchester, IL — FGM Architects, Inc. (FGMA), an employee-owned design firm with 220+ professionals in eight offices across five states, announced today that Charles J. Mueller has joined its practice as Chief Financial Officer. Mueller brings over 14 years of financial accounting and leadership experience for high-growth organizations, specializing in aligning financial insights with corporate strategy.

Mueller brings a distinguished track record of financial leadership from both the architecture/engineering and Fortune 50 corporate sectors supporting strategic financial management of corporate sectors producing more than $30B in revenue. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Accounting at Halff, a prominent design and engineering firm. In this role, he led a 45-member team across finance, accounting, real estate and procurement functions, successfully rebuilding the department’s leadership structure and driving strategic initiatives in financial planning, risk compliance, and operational excellence.

“We are thrilled to welcome Charles to FGM Architects during this exciting period of growth and transformation,” said CEO John Dzarnowski. “His depth of experience in leading complex financial operations, combined with his innovative approach to financial technologies and team development, make him a perfect fit to help shape our future.”

With a focus on driving business transformation through financial planning, Mueller is adept at partnering with senior executives to enhance the strategic growth of the firm while optimizing profitability. His breadth of experience has involved financial reporting, risk management and compliance, operational finance and real estate and procurement . Additionally, he has a passion for championing financial technology advancements research, including AI integration, to enhance reporting speed, reduce administrative workload, and improve data quality. Mueller enjoys serving as a mentor to provide financial literacy training programs to non-financial staff, leading to improved project profitability. With three bachelor’s degrees — in Accounting, Finance and Accounting Information Systems — as well as an MBA, Mueller is well-equipped to lead FGMA’s financial team.

“FGM Architects is known for its commitment to design excellence, community impact, and client partnership,” said Mueller. “I am honored to join such a visionary leadership team and look forward to helping the firm achieve long-term financial sustainability and growth through data-driven strategy, operational efficiency and innovation.”

As CFO, Mueller will oversee all aspects of the firm’s financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, treasury, compliance, and strategic planning. He will also champion financial technology adoption and play an active role in supporting FGM’s leadership in expanding into new markets and service areas.

About FGM Architects

FGMA builds community by designing spaces for learning, protecting and connecting. An 80-year-old firm with more than 200 employees across eight offices in five states, FGMA provides award-winning, sustainable and collaborative architecture services to communities across the nation.