Michael W. Ferro, Jr.
Chairman
Michael W. Ferro, Jr. is the past chairman, CEO and founder of Click Commerce, Inc. Under Mr. Ferro’s leadership, Click Commerce pioneered the market for Internet portals that drove the integration of disparate systems in numerous vertical markets. He is the current chairman and CEO of Merrick Ventures, a technology holding company. He also is the current chairman of Merge Healthcare, a leading health records and imaging software company.
Mr. Ferro is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and is a director with the RAND Health Board of Advisors. He is a trustee of the Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum of Chicago, The Chicago News Cooperative, Northwestern University and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He serves on the boards of Northwestern University, The Chicago Community Trust, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Foundation, Big Shoulders Foundation, and After School Matters. In addition to his civic and philanthropic activities, Mr. Ferro participates in several business organizations. He is the past chairman of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and the First Vice Chairman of the Economic Club of Chicago. Mr. Ferro also is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization and The Commercial Club of Chicago. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois.
Timothy P. Knight
CEO
Timothy P. Knight is the past President and CEO of Newsday Media Group and Publisher of Newsday, the 11th largest daily newspaper. In addition to the daily newspaper, he was responsible for Newsday’s interactive operations, amNewYork (a free paper distributed in New York City), Star Community Publishing shopper network as well as daily papers in Greenwich and Stamford, CT. Tim led the process that resulted in the sale of Newsday Media Group by Tribune Company to Cablevision Systems Corporation for $650 million in 2008.
Prior to joining Newsday in 2003, Tim held a number of senior management positions at the Tribune Publishing Company and the Chicago Tribune Media Group. He was a co-founder of and held senior management roles at Classified Ventures, LLC (parent of cars.com and apartments.com). Prior to joining Classified Ventures in 1997, he served as mergers and acquisitions counsel for Tribune Company. Tim started his career as a corporate attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom in Chicago.
Tim holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, following which he passed the CPA exam. He also holds a juris doctorate with honors from DePaul University College of Law where he was Order of the Coif and attended the corporate finance program at London Business School. Tim has been engaged in number of civic organizations over the years and is currently a member of the Marquette University College of Business Dean’s Council of Excellence and the Ambassador’s Board of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. He also was a member of the Long Island Chapter of Young President’s Organization.
Bradley Phillip Bell
President, Bell-Phillip Television Productions
Six-time Daytime Emmy Award® winner Bradley Phillip Bell is President of Bell-Phillip Television Productions and Executive Producer and Head Writer of the most watched daily dramatic serial in the world, The Bold and the Beautiful.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Bell co-founded Bell-Phillip Television Productions in 1987 with his parents, television pioneers, Lee Phillip Bell, an Emmy Award®- winning broadcast journalist and talk show personality at WBBM-TV for over 30 years and the late Emmy Award®- winning William J. Bell, who also created the daytime drama, The Young and the Restless.
Recognized for it's socially conscious stories, The Bold and the Beautiful is currently seen daily by more than 35 million people in over 100 countries.
John A. Canning, Jr.
Chairman, Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC
Mr. Canning co-founded Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC (“MDP”) in 1993 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until becoming its Chairman in 2007. MDP has raised investment funds with more than $18 billion in limited partner commitments from over 400 endowments, pension funds and other sophisticated investors. MDP is one of the most experienced and successful private equity investment firms in the United States with 45 investment professionals.
Prior to co-founding MDP, Mr. Canning spent 24 years with First Chicago Corporation, most recently as Executive Vice President of The First National Bank of Chicago and President of First Chicago Venture Capital.
Mr. Canning has more than 31 years of experience in private equity investing and currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Corning Incorporated, Exelon Corporation, Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, TransUnion Corp. and Children's Inner City Educational Fund; on the Boards of Trustees of the Big Shoulders Fund, Museum of Science and Industry, and Northwestern University. Mr. Canning is also a Commissioner of the Irish Pension Reserve Fund, a Trustee and former Chairman of The Chicago Community Trust, a Trustee and Chairman of The Field Museum, Chairman of the Chicago News Cooperative, Chairman of The Economic Club of Chicago, and former Director and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Rodney O'Neal
Chief Executive Officer and President, Delphi
Rodney O'Neal, 58, is chief executive officer and president of Delphi
O'Neal began his automotive career at General Motors (GM) in 1971 as a student at General Motors Institute (currently Kettering University). In 1975, he joined the Inland Division where he held a number of engineering and manufacturing positions in Ohio, Portugal, and Canada. He was named director of industrial engineering for the former Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada Group in 1991 and the following year became a director of manufacturing for Delphi. O'Neal was named general director of Warehousing & Distribution for GM Service Parts Operations in 1994. In 1997, he was elected a GM vice president and named general manager of Delphi Interior Systems.
When Delphi became an independent company following its spinoff from GM, O'Neal was elected a Delphi vice president and president of Delphi Interior Systems in November 1998. In 2000, O'Neal was named executive vice president of the former Safety, Thermal & Electrical Architecture Sector. O'Neal was named president of the Dynamics, Propulsion and Thermal Sector in 2003 and was named president and chief operating officer in 2005. He was named to his current position of chief executive officer in January, 2007.
O'Neal earned a bachelor's degree from General Motors Institute and a master's degree from Stanford University. He serves on the board of directors for Delphi and the board of directors of Sprint/Nextel. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and former member of the board of directors for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the board of directors for Inroads, Inc., the Michigan Manufacturers Association, the Woodward Governor Company and the advisory board for Focus: HOPE.
Michael J. Sacks
Chief executive officer, Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P.
Michael J. Sacks is the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago-based Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P. Grosvenor is a leader in the alternative investment industry, specializing in the management of multi-manager investment portfolios. Grosvenor currently manages over $23 billion for a globally diverse institutional and high net worth client base.
Mr. Sacks joined Grosvenor in 1990, and was named the firm’s Managing Partner in 1994. He led the growth, development and institutionalization of the firm from its position as an early participant in a cottage industry to its current position as a leader in the global alternative investment arena. Prior to joining Grosvenor, Mr. Sacks spent two years at Harris Associates, L.P.
A native of Chicago, Mr. Sacks received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tulane University in 1984, a general course certificate from the London School of Economics for work completed in the 1982-1983 academic year, a masters in Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in 1988 and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1988. He is a member of the Illinois Bar.
In addition to his work at Grosvenor, Mr. Sacks and his wife, Cari are active in various philanthropic and community activities. Mr. Sacks is a Trustee of Northwestern University, a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Commercial Club of Chicago, and is a Board Member of the Economic Club of Chicago, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, After School Matters, Birthright Israel Foundation and is a member of the Advance & Major Gifts Committee for the Jewish United Fund. He also serves as the Vice-Chairman of World Business Chicago board alongside the Mayor of City of Chicago, where he will focus on promoting and attracting business and the City’s broader economic development agenda.
Mr. and Mrs. Sacks have been married for over 20 years and have two sons and a daughter.
Bruce Sagan
Owner and Publisher, Hyde Park Herald
Bruce Sagan has been publisher of the Hyde Park Herald for 58 years. He has spent more than half a century reporting, writing and publishing for and about the neighborhoods and communities of the Chicago area. During his journalism career he has published newspapers in four states, been a partner of the English company that publishes the Financial Times, worked with The New York Times on developing their national edition and started a regional daily newspaper in the Chicago suburbs. A past president of the Illinois Press Association, Mr. Sagan was a founding director of the Suburban Newspapers of America. He has been a consultant to The Washington Post and Media General. Most recently, Mr. Sagan worked at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism on revising the curriculum for the 21st century. Mr. Sagan has served as vice chairman of the Chicago Public Library Board, chairman of the Illinois Arts Council, chairman of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, and secretary of the Chicago Housing Authority. He is on the board of directors of the Steppenwolf Theater Company, the Joffrey Ballet, the Chicago Public Library Foundation and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.
Linda Wolf
Retired Chairman and CEO, Leo Burnett Worldwide
Linda Wolf retired as Chairman and CEO of Leo Burnett Worldwide in April 2005 after a 27 year career with the global advertising agency. As Worldwide CEO Linda was responsible for the agency’s operations spanning 80+ countries and more than 200 units. Prior to assuming the Worldwide CEO role in January 2001, Linda was CEO of Leo Burnett USA from July 1996 through December 2000. From March 1992 through June 1996 Linda was an Executive Vice President responsible for Business Development at Leo Burnett USA.
Linda is a Director of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and InnerWorkings, Inc.. She serves on the Board of Trustees of Janus Funds. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Field Museum, Children’s Memorial Hospital, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
William “Beau” Wrigley, Jr.
Private Investor
Wrigley, as the fourth generation leader of the Wrigley family, began his career working for the company in 1985 and eventually held the positions of President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Executive Chairman of the Board of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company between 1999 and 2008. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company was founded in 1891 by William Wrigley Jr.; it became a publicly-traded company in 1919, and had been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1923. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company is a recognized global leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings. With manufacturing facilities in a dozen countries and wholly-owned subsidiaries and offices in more than three dozen countries, the Wrigley Company markets its products to consumers in over 180 nations around the world. Prior to the sale of the company, Wrigley grew the company sales in excess of $6 billion annually.
After the sale of the Wrigley Company to Mars, Incorporated in 2008, Wrigley held the role of Chairman of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and played a key role in the successful integration of both companies through 2009.
Currently, Wrigley serves in a number of professional capacities and is involved in numerous business initiatives as a private investor, as well as through philanthropic programs in Chicago and around the world.
Beau currently sits on the Board of Trustees for The Ethel Walker School, an independent, college preparatory, boarding and day school for girls in grades six through twelve. He is also a member of the Senior Advisory Council of BDT Capital Partners LLC. BDT Capital Partners LLC is a Chicago based investment firm which offers long-term capital and advisory services to its family business clients. Beau is also a Director of The Economic Club of Chicago and serves on National Geographic Society's Council of Advisors. He also serves on the Board of the not-for-profit North Shore University Healthcare System.
Additionally, as a Trustee of Conservation International, Beau supports their mission to empower societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature for the well-being of humanity. Wrigley is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization and a former member of The Business Council.
Beau was born in Chicago, is married to Heather Wrigley and has four children. He is a 1985 graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in Economics and attended the Wharton School of Business Advanced Management Program in 1994. Additionally, he was in the 1997 inaugural class of the Aspen Institute's Henry Crown Fellowship Program.