Announcements
January 2010
With the beginning of our 6th year, we find ourselves reflecting upon the tremendous success of the CEO Perspective program and are pleased to share a sampling of achievements:
- 97 top management participants were nominated by their CEO or Board Chairs and successfully completed the program
- Over 37 companies sponsored participants, with some 20 of them having sent two or more representatives over the years
- 45 CEOs provided vital support through candid sharing of their insights and perspectives at program sessions
- 31% of participants were women and 10 % of participants were minorities contributing important diversity within the program
- 10 community scholarships were awarded to nonprofit executives
- 45 program fellows attended the five-year “reunion” event in October, 2009
As we look forward, our plan is to continue producing the highest quality program while also generating broader recognition of CEO Perspective’s uniqueness and value. We believe this will facilitate drawing program participants and CEO speakers from a wider geographic area to create an even richer participant experience. We also plan to increase connections with program fellows and sponsors with the objective of enhancing long- term networking and learning benefits for all involved.
Raj Gupta, who has served as Executive Director of the program for the last five years, recently decided to transition to other activities. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Erin McInerney as the new Executive Director of CEO Perspective. Erin brings significant expertise in marketing and relationship management. She has a 30 year career in financial services including serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of LaSalle Bank Corporation as well as having served some 25 years as an executive of Harris Bank.
We hope you will join us in welcoming Erin to this new position and continuing your support of the program in the future. She can be reached at 312-213-3199 or e-mcinerney@kellogg.northwestern.edu if you wish to connect and discuss the program.
We wish to express our deep appreciation to Raj Gupta for his many contributions as Executive Director. His dedication and commitment to the program were essential to the success achieved to date. Raj and Erin are working together to ensure a smooth transition.
Our vision of the program has always been to create an unrivaled executive learning experience. We appreciate all the support for the program we have received to date – and we are committed to continuing to deliver on this vision in the years to come.
October 2009
CEO Perspective's 5-Year Reunion, held October 8, 2009, was a huge success! 50 of the program's Fellows were able to join in this occasion and "keep the journey alive", as Fellow Marco Molinari remarked in thanks. Also in attendance were the program's co-founders, Cheryl Francis, Sheila Penrose, Daniel Diermeier and Raj Gupta, along with other key supporters. The day-long reunion consisted of three panel discussions, followed by a reception and dinner at The Peninsula Chicago, where keynote speaker Edward M. Liddy, Chairman Emeritus of Allstate Corporation and former Chairman of AIG, delivered insightful and candid thoughts regarding the recent financial crisis. The dinner concluded with a presentation by Executive Director, Raj Gupta, to former Kellogg Dean, Dipak Jain, in whose honor, the $50,000 Dipak C. Jain Community Participant Scholarship for CEO Perspective was announced.
Finally, very special thanks go to our Fellows who were the panelists:
Session 1: Leading in Turbulent Times
Dave Burdakin, President & CEO, Paladin Brands
Janet Froetscher, President & CEO, National Safety Council
Chris Leahy, SVP, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, CDW
Jana Schreuder, President, Worldwide Operations & Technology, Northern Trust
John McCarter, President & CEO, Field Museum
Session 2: Redefining the Relationship Between Business, Politics and Society
Stan Blaylock, SVP & President, Walgreens Health Services, Walgreens
Marshall Bouton, President, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Marty Foster, EVP & President of Plan Operations, HCSC
Steve Potter, President - Northern Trust Global Investments, Northern Trust
Session 3: CEO Perspective
Sam Allen, President & CEO, Deere & Company
David Grange, CEO, PPDI
Pat Hemingway Hall, President & CEO, HCSC
Russ Smyth, President & CEO, H&R Block
Greg Wasson, President & CEO, Walgreens
Thanks again to everyone who attended and helped create a thought-provoking, meaningful and enjoyable 5-Year Reunion of CEO Perspective! We are looking forward to celebrating many more!
May 2009
Plans for a Fall 2009 Reunion of all five classes are currently underway.
December 2008
We are currently building the 2009 class for the CEO Perspective program, which will start off with our Welcome Reception and Dinner on Wednesday, January 28, 2009.
October 2008
On November 6, 2008, we will hold our annual graduation dinner celebrating the contributions of our 2008 participant group. As before, this will be a great opportunity for all of the CEO Perspective Fellows and spouses to network. Please save the date.