Eileen Sweeney has over 15 years experience in philanthropy and leads the Motorola Mobility Foundation and global community relations in its mission to benefit the communities in which it operates around the world, by making strategic grants, forging strong partnerships, fostering innovation, and engaging stakeholders. At Motorola Eileen started the “Innovation Generation Grants” program for STEM (science technology, engineering and math) education in the US and lead a global effort around disaster response. Eileen joined Motorola Inc from the Inkindex Corporation where she was Chief Executive Officer. Inkindex obtains resources in-kind for non-profit groups. Before that, Eileen served as Director of Civic Affairs for United Airlines where she was responsible for global corporate philanthropy, employee volunteerism, and employee giving.

She is a founding member of the National Science Advisory Committee for the Girl Scouts of the USA and a member of the National Advisory Council for the Dream Foundation. Eileen serves on the boards of Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago, Working in the Schools, Project Exploration, Victory Gardens Theatre, the Women’s Power Network and the Business Civic Leadership Council. Eileen is a member of the Global Corporate Volunteer Council, and a founder of the North Lawndale College Prep Charter High School. Eileen represented U.S. business on the national steering committee for the United Nations International Year of Volunteers, 2001 and is past-Chair of The Contributions Council of the Conference Board.

Eileen received a bachelor’s degree in education from Loyola University and a Masters in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she focused on building strategic business-education partnerships.

Maria Green is Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Illinois Tool Works Inc. (“ITW”) in Glenview, Illinois. ITW is a $16 billion diversified manufacturer with 68,000 employees in 54 countries. ITW is a publicly-held Fortune 200 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ms. Green joined ITW’s twelve-member legal department in 1997. She has completed over 150 mergers and acquisitions since joining the Company, including several public company acquisitions. In addition, her practice includes corporate governance, SEC filings, import/export, and anti-trust matters, as well as supervision of toxic tort, product liability and employment litigation.

Prior to joining ITW, Ms. Green was general counsel of the Midwest division of Amtrak, a senior associate at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C. and in the legal department of Continental Illinois Bank and Trust Company.

Ms. Green has also been an adjunct professor at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Green is a graduate of Boston University Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the bar in the States of New York, Illinois and the District of Columbia.

Vicki is Principal of V. Kramer & Associates where she brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in workplace issues, human relations and women’s leadership issues, and management to the table. She provides consulting and group facilitation to organizations; provides executive coaching to individuals; and conducts research.

She has served on the board of the Forum of Executive Women in Philadelphia and has co-chaired its Executive Suites Committee, and she represents the Forum on the board of ION – a national network of 14 regional executive women’s organizations working to increase the number of women on corporate boards and in executive positions. She led a national study to determine whether it makes a difference in corporate governance to have a critical mass of women on a corporate board. The results were published by Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College (Critical Mass on Corporate Boards: Why Three or More Women Enhance Governance), and she has co-authored articles about the study for the Harvard Business Review, numerous corporate governance journals, and a chapter for a book on women on corporate boards. She has spoken about the Critical Mass study to various groups including POWER Chicago.

She earned her B.A. from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. from Harvard University. She serves on the boards of The Pennsylvania Prison Society and The Women’s Law Project and is a think partner with Ask These Women.

Connie L. Lindsey is Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Northern Trust, Chicago. She is responsible for the design and implementation of the global Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, and the development of goals, policies, and programs appropriate to the brand and business unit strategies.

Throughout the course of her 16-year Northern Trust career, Ms. Lindsey has held various leadership roles, including Deputy Business Head in Operations and Technology, Group Head in Northern Trust’s Personal Financial Services business, Director of Enterprise Relationship Management, and Manager in Treasury Management Consulting and Product Management.

Ms. Lindsey is National Board President of Girl Scouts of the USA, the highest ranking volunteer of this 3.4 million member organization. She also serves on the Board of Governors of the Metropolitan Club of Chicago and is a Delegate for Vision 2020, a national project focused on advancing gender equality by energizing the dialogue on the subject of women and leadership. Ms. Lindsey is a much sought after public speaker on the topics of business, corporate responsibility, leadership, mentoring, and personal and professional empowerment.

Ms. Lindsey has been profiled on national television on PBS’ 30GoodMinutes and ABC’s Heart and Soul. She has been recognized both professionally and in the community, and was the first female recipient of the Loretto Hospital Foundation’s 2011 Spirit of Achievement Award. Ms. Lindsey is also the recipient of the National Diversity Council’s Most Powerful and Influential Women for 2010 Award, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois-Advocacy Award, the N’Digo Corporate Leadership Award, and Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color Award.

“Love the Game” -With those words Gail Evans concludes one of the most successful and influential books about women in the workplace. Ironically, many women did not even know the game existed before Evans taught them how to win in the workplace with her book “Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman.”

The book was listed on the New York Times, Business Week, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. “Play Like A Man, Win Like A Woman” has been translated into 21 languages and has been a bestseller around the world. When it comes to the success of women in the workplace, Evans is a leading source. She has appeared on The Today Show and Larry King Live, and has been featured in People Magazine, The New York Times and USA Today.

Evans' status has been enhanced by her newest book, “She Wins, You Win.” She has spoken and given lectures to many of the world’s leading companies including Johnson & Johnson, GE, Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, KPMG, Cisco, Thompson Reuters, Deloitte, Intel , Wal Mart and Textron to name a few. Evans is currently an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Management teaching “Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Organizational Behavior.”

Where did Gail Evans learn the business game? In the male-dominated world of television journalism and politics. She began working at CNN at its inception in 1980. By the time she retired in 2001, she was its Executive Vice President. During that time she was responsible for program and talent development at all of CNN’s domestic networks overseeing national and international talk shows and the Network Guest Bookings Department, which schedules about 25,000 guests each year.

In addition to speaking and teaching, Evans has served on numerous charitable boards including the Radio Television News Directors Foundation, the Society for Women’s Health Research, the Atlanta Girls School, the Ga. State University Law School and the Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. She was also appointed by President Clinton to the Commission on White House Fellows. She is the former chairperson of the Georgia Endowment for the Humanities.

Early in her career, she worked on both House and Senate staffs and at the White House in the Office of the Special Counsel to the President during the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration. During her tenure at the White House she was part of the team that created the 1966 Civil Rights Act and the Presidents Committee on Equal Employment opportunity.

Gail Evans lives in Atlanta and is the mother of three and the grandmother of seven.

As vice president within the Business Process Reengineering team of the Worldwide Field Operations group, Cherie is responsible for leading business process strategy and reengineering efforts across CNA staff functions. Prior to her current role, Cherie was vice president of a shared services organization in Corporate Finance, where she was responsible for CNA’s financial accounting systems, data management and maintenance organizational units.

Cherie has also served in a number of accounting and reporting positions with responsibilities for pension and benefits, reinsurance, insurance specific taxes and surcharges. She also has significant leadership experience with accounting systems and ERP implementations.

Throughout her 14+ years with CNA, she has been recognized for her leadership, process improvements leading to significant financial savings for the company, and organizational development skills. Cherie is active in community initiatives which promote empowerment and equality, and serves as a mentor for business and insurance professionals.

She has earned a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She also completed the Advanced Executive Leadership Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Six-time EMMY® Award winning Producer Shawne Duperon has been in the television business for nearly 20 years. She has taught thousands how to powerfully network, give exquisite presentations and media interviews. She works with corporations and entrepreneurs teaching you how to get thousands of dollars in free publicity in traditional and social media to create epidemics that promote your businesses and careers.

She's collaborated with many of 'The Secret' masters like best-selling authors John Assaraf (ASS-uh-raff) and Marci Shimoff (SHY-moff) along with folks like Joel Comm of Twitter Power. Shawne has replaced Bill Ford of Ford Motor Company, when she spoke at the Department of Defense and even lectures on cruise ships across the globe. One of her personal passions is the work she does with multicultural groups to help delete media stereotypes.

Shawne has interviewed most presidents and has filmed hundreds of celebrities including Morgan Freeman, Yo Yo Ma, Senator McCain and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. You've watched her on national networks such as CBS' "The Early Show" and have seen her featured in newspapers such as "USA Today," "The Washington Post" and "The Chicago Tribune" to name a few. She's a featured teacher in the film "Luminous World Views," a compelling look at the world's most transformational thinkers.

Shawne's currently a PhD candidate, creating leading-edge research on the relationship between mass media and gossip marketing®. Media, she says, is the ultimate network. Knowing how to create and navigate strong media relationships is the secret to unlimited marketing and personal power. Being fabulous on camera simply seals the deal.

Gail Golden, MBA, Ph.D., is the Principal of Gail Golden Consulting, LLC. As a psychologist and consultant for over twenty years, she has developed deep expertise in helping businesses to build better leaders. Her experience as an entrepreneur, business owner, and consultant to senior leaders of both Fortune 1000 and non-profit organizations informs her approach to executive selection and development.

Gail’s work encompasses a broad range of consulting with senior executives about the human side of strategy. Besides providing in-depth assessments and coaching for business leaders, she helps organizations to build team effectiveness, develop future leaders, and manage the increasing pace of change.

Before founding Gail Golden Consulting, Gail was a consultant at an international management psychology firm. Previously, she was founder and Chief Psychologist of Golden Psychology Services in London, Ontario, a clinic that provided psychological assessment, treatment, and consulting to organizations.

Gail received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Chicago, her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University, and her MBA from The University of Western Ontario. She is a registered psychologist in Illinois.

Gail has extensive experience as a university teacher, public speaker, and media commentator. She teaches at the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago. She has been quoted in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Today's Chicago Woman, and numerous other publications. Her areas of special interest include: women and power, influencing without authority, and building a healthy workplace.

Brenda is the director and relationship manager responsible for serving as Aon's liaison to services at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the US. In her role, Brenda assists clients by understanding their operations, market pressures and revenue goals and linking their needs to the myriad experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers who may assist Aon on a wide variety of issues from tax to compliance to technology strategy and streamlining operations. Brenda's understanding of the client and knowledge of PricewaterhouseCoopers has helped clients by providing instant access to the services PricewaterhouseCoopers provides around the world. Brenda has worked in private industry as in-house counsel and a member of the senior staff of a Fortune 200 corporation as well as the cabinet member and leader of a state government agency.

Brenda is licensed to practice law in Illinois. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard and a law degree from the University of Virginia.

Ms. Golden is currently Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for GATX Corporation, a world leader in rail, marine and industrial equipment leasing. She is responsible for legal and regulatory matters, governmental affairs and corporate governance at GATX and manages a team of professionals located throughout North America and Europe. Prior to joining GATX Corporation, Ms. Golden was the Vice-President and General Counsel for Midwest Generation, a power producing company. While at Midwest Gen, Ms. Golden was involved in numerous cutting-edge energy and environmental issues, including the creation of competitive markets for power procurement and the development of renewable energy sources. Ms. Golden also served in the public sector as Deputy General Counsel for the State of Illinois, Office of the Governor. There, she assisted in the management, direction and coordination of general counsels for numerous state agencies, and developed and implemented litigation and policy positions on behalf of the State. Prior to her public sector experience, Ms. Golden served as Assistant General Counsel, State Regulatory Affairs for Ameritech Corporation and SBC Communications Inc. where whe was responsible for legal and regulatory matters in a five-state Midwest region. Ms. Golden began her legal career at the Schiff Hardin & Waite law firm in Chicago, Illinois where she was elected partner in 1991. She has an MBA and JD from Loyola University and a BA from Boston College. She serves on various not for profit boards and is a frequent speaker at legal and business seminars.

Kimberley Euston brings her experience working in the White House and on Wall Street to the PricewaterhouseCoopers team. She has advised leading financiers on foreign currency strategies and has helped her clients understand financial events from a political point of view. Kimberley has also been a strong advocate for the advancement of women – both personally and professionally.

She spent over ten years on Wall Street, most recently at Bank of America where she managed the U.S. Investor Sales Team for Global Foreign Exchange. Before working in the financial arena, she worked in public service, first with the Bureau of International Narcotics at the U.S. Department of State and then on the Vice President’s National Security Staff at the White House.

Kimberley has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and government from Sweet Briar College where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. She also attended the Foreign Policy Institute at American University, and, through a Rotary International student exchange program, lived and studied in Belgium where she became fluent in French.

A mother of three, Kimberley is one of four women profiled in "Risk/Reward," an award-winning documentary about women who work on Wall Street. She has been a featured panelist at the Columbia Women in Business Conference, the Harvard Women’s Leadership Board and The Conference Board’s Work Life Conference, addressing such topics as personal branding and leadership. She is active in her community and serves on the Women's Leadership Council for the Atlanta area chapter of the United Way. In 2009, Kimberley was honored by Working Mother magazine, as one of their top working mom's of the year.

Kathy Downey is the Managing Partner of Plante & Moran’s Northwest Chicago Office. She is also the partner in charge of Plante & Moran’s Illinois Service and Higher Education Industry practices. Kathy has twenty eight years of experience assisting privately-held businesses with a variety of complex accounting, tax and audit matters. Kathy also actively consults with her clients on a wide array of general business matters including shareholder issues, strategic planning, tax and structuring matters. She provides client assistance with business issues both throughout the United States and abroad. She is often quoted in professional publications, particularly in the areas of organizational culture and the development and leadership of women in the profession. Kathy is a frequent presenter to university students, discussing various aspects of public accounting as well as general business matters.

Kathy recently relocated to Chicago from Southeastern Michigan where she served as the Managing Partner of one of Plante & Moran’s Michigan offices. She has served on numerous Boards throughout her career. Examples include serving as Chairman of Board of the Central Macomb Chamber of Commerce, Board Member for Trinity Health System -Macomb Hospital, Audit Committee Member of Henry Ford Health System – Macomb Hospital. Kathy has also served on the Board of the Michigan Association of CPA’s.

Kathy is a graduate of the University of Detroit (B.S. Summa Cum Laude) and has completed Executive Education courses at the Harvard Business School.

Cynde Munzer is a partner in the Business Organizations and Transactions Group of Arnstein & Lehr LLP.  Ms. Munzer serves as a trusted legal advisor to several of the area’s major publicly held corporations and financial institutions. Her clients also include middle market businesses and emerging and start-up corporations. She has a substantial depth of experience representing businesses in a broad range of sophisticated business matters, including asset and stock acquisitions and dispositions, mergers, joint development agreements, employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, and non-compete and confidentiality agreements. In addition, she has represented some of Chicago’s leading financial institutions in the negotiation and preparation of documentation for complex asset-based financing transactions.

Ms. Munzer is serving as Co-Chair of the Chicago Host Committee for Vision 2020, which is a national 10-ten year  initiative aimed at achieving gender equality by the year 2020.  This non-partisan project was launched last year by the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at Drexel University College of Medicine.  Ms. Munzer has been representing Illinois as an ambassador in this initiative.   In that role she is playing a critical role in the drafting of the “Declaration of Equality,” the 10-year action agenda that will guide the work to bring the country closer to gender equality by 2020 to mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment.

Ms. Munzer is also active in the philanthropic community, and is the recipient of the prestigious Woman of Achievement Award by the Anti-Defamation League for her outstanding achievements in the legal profession and her leadership efforts and accomplishments in the business and civic communities.

CJ Johnson is a Financial Representative with The Heartland Group.  Here, she is able to take a grassroots approach to a client's financial needs which encompasses, but isn't limited to, wealth building, retirement strategies, and financial business assessment.  She has an unwavering commitment to the individuals, families, and business owners whom she services. Through female initiatives such as Worth and Vision 2020 she is attempting to educate and create solutions  concerning financial inequalities that still exsist for women today. 

CJ earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Loyola University with a minor in Women's Studies.  Prior to joining The Heartland Group, CJ worked in management for over seven years in the commercial and residential finance industry.  Currently, she works with a team of experts that are ready to help you achieve financial protection, accumulate your assets, and distribute them when the time is right.  CJ has a very straight forward process which involves listening to her clients, then building and implementing a plan together to take care of their objectives.

CJ is dedicated to The Heartland Group's Client Value Commitment, building long term lasting relationships with clients of all walks of life.

Cathy M. Niden provides expertise in financial economics specializing in financial markets, corporate finance, and securities regulation. She has served as expert witness in cases alleging securities fraud, insider trading, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and ERISA violations in connection with 401(k) and other retirement plans. In addition, she has directed analyses addressing a broad range of issues in financial economics including valuation, ownership and control of firms as they relate to acquisitions and corporate governance, accounting restatements, and securities regulation. Dr. Niden has published scholarly articles on the topics of corporate acquisitions, market microstructure, shareholder proxy voting, and the price-volume relation in stock markets. Dr. Niden also served as Associate Chief Economist and Academic Fellow at the Securities and Exchange Commission Office of Economic Analysis. She also served as a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently teaching in the Masters of Science in Finance program at Loyola University of Chicago. Dr. Niden received her AB, MBA, and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago.

Since 2003, Jodie Winnett has served as the Associate Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue, a 2,100-person state agency charged with administering the state’s tax code. She also oversees the Illinois Lottery, which under her stewardship generated more than $2.2 billion in sales in fiscal year 2010.  Since April, she has also been acting Superintendent of the Illinois Lottery.  Jodie spearheaded a $46 million project to replace the agency’s then 30-year-old tax-processing systems.  She also led the effort to improve the agency’s data analytics capabilities, introduced document imaging and increased electronic filing.

Prior to joining the Department of Revenue, she helped found World Business Chicago, a public-private partnership that markets the Chicago region as a business location.  She spent four years at the City of Chicago’s Office of Budget & Management where she worked on numerous projects to improve business regulation and processes.  Immediately after graduate school, she was a MacArthur Fellow in the Mayor’s Policy Office working on economic development and housing policy.  She served as policy director on Mayor Daley’s 1999 and 2003 campaigns.

Jodie holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in political science from James Madison University in Virginia.  She is originally from Maryland and has lived in Chicago for the last 15 years.

Maryann Waryjas helps senior management and boards of directors achieve their strategic business goals and objectives—on time and within budget.   She concentrates on all aspects of business law, especially corporate governance, securities law, M&A transactions and executive compensation. She has been the legal architect for many successful transactions and corporate governance initiatives.

Ms. Waryjas represents boards, board committees and management in sophisticated corporate and securities transactions, including complex mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, securities offerings, financings and re-financings, joint ventures and outsourcing arrangements.  She advises boards of directors and senior executives regarding corporate governance matters, internal investigations, indemnification issues, D&O liability insurance arrangements, sensitive matters involving senior executives, and crisis management. 

As a trusted and respected advisor, she has been the leader in resolving transactional roadblocks, navigating through complex commercial disputes, and investigating and resolving serious compliance matters. 
Ms. Waryjas has a strong commitment to advancing women as corporate directors, executives and professionals.  She is a member of The Chicago Network and its Women on Boards Committee, the InterOrganizational Network (ION) Outreach Committee, and the Strategic Alliance Committee of DirectWomen.  She is a past president and former member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Finance Exchange, where she served several terms, and a former member of the POWER Advisory Board.  She received the “Woman of Vision in Business” award from the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois.  She is a member of the Board of Directors of The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, where she serves on the Executive Committee and as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Nelda J. Connors is President and Chief Executive Officer of Atkore International, managing $1.4B in sales globally. Atkore, formerly a division of Tyco International, recently became a privately-held company in December 2010. Before joining the company in 2008, Ms. Connors served as Vice President at Eaton Corporation, holding several positions in operations and general management for the Fluid Power and Truck Groups. Prior to Eaton, Ms. Connors was employed in a number of executive and management capacities with Ford, Chrysler and Mogami Denki, a Toyota supplier. Connors has lived and worked in Japan, Europe, and China and began her career as an engineer with Monsanto Corporation.

She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Atkore International and Boston Scientific. Also, Ms. Connors is on the Board of Trustees for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Founders Board for the Governors State University Foundation, as well as a member of The Chicago Network. Ms. Connors holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton and completed post-graduate studies in International Finance and Economics while at the University of Tokyo.

Katie is senior vice president for CNA’s Worldwide Operations. She is responsible for leading a team of more than 800 associates to manage the reengineering and daily operations of Policy Administration, Premium Audit, Customer Service, Billing and Collections. She has proven success in building and optimizing CRM, Revenue Management and IT capabilities, while driving change throughout the organization. Her efforts have enabled CNA to achieve significant reductions in operating expenses while improving cash flow and service levels.

She is a member of an internal senior working group, the Operating Committee, which has primary responsibility for putting CNA strategies into practice across the enterprise.

Before joining CNA in 2004, Katie held key leadership positions at Western Union, NewPower, SBC/Ameritech and American Express. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University. Additionally, Katie serves on the Board of Directors for The Cara Program.

Jean K. Holley is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Tellabs.  Holley is a member of the executive team where she is directly responsible for leadership on technology and industry trends including the mobile internet, enterprise and consumer computing and telecommunications trends.  She is also responsible for all aspects of IT strategy development, implementation and operations for Tellabs worldwide. 

Holley is a member of the Board of Directors for VASCO Data Security International and the Board of Trustees for IIT and Missouri University Science & Technology.  She also serves on Illinois Math & Science Academy’s (IMSA) Fund Board.

Before joining Tellabs, Holley served as CIO for USG Corp, Sr. IT Director for Waste Management and Digital Equipment Corporation.  Holley was awarded the Julia Beveridge Award from IIT, for her community work encouraging students and young emerging talent to achieve their fullest potential.  She has also received the IT Leadership Award from Women in Technology International, CIO of the Year and was listed by ComputerWorld as one of the top 100 CIOs.  Holley was inducted into the Women in Science and Engineering Hall of Fame at Missouri University Science & Technology and where she also received an honorary professional degree.

Holley holds a Master of Science degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science/electrical engineering from Missouri University Science & Technology.

In her role as vice president, corporate FP&A, Karie Anderson leads the long range financial planning and project evaluation functions. In addition, she oversees the financial planning and analysis functions for Exelon’s power marketing organization, fossil fleet and business services company. She has been with Exelon since 2003, having previously served as vice president of investor relations and director of accounting policy and research. Prior to Exelon, Karie was a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Chicago, IL, leading assurance and public offering projects for technology companies. She is a Certified Public Accountant. Karie earned a master’s of business administration with high honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois.

Sandra joined United Airlines days after receiving her BA in Communications. During her tenure she held a variety of management positions throughout the organization, including Senior Buyer. As the Manager of Supplier Diversity for United Airlines, she reported directly to the Chief Procurement Officer and was responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s Supplier Diversity strategy.

She is an active board member of the Women's Business Development Center, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, Chicago Minority Business Development Council, National Minority Supplier Development Council as well as Chicago United.

Sandra's philanthropic activities include the Women's Board of the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry - Black Creativity Gala Committee and the Advisory Board of the Southside Community Art Center.

With a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago in Economics and Statistics and a career in finance for 6+ years, owner Teresa Ging left her finance position to attend Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie program in Paris. When she returned to Chicago she set out to pursue a dream to open a cupcake boutique and spent eight months testing cupcake recipes. In August 2007, Ging finalized the 20+ flavors in the Sugar Bliss cupcake collection and launched the catering and delivery side of the business in October 2007. She has expanded her client base with corporate customers, hotels, event and wedding planners and catering companies. In January 2009, Teresa Ging opened the first Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique retail location at 115 N Wabash in the Downtown Chicago Loop.

Cheryl Mayberry McKissack is the President and CEO of Nia Enterprises, LLC - a Chicago-based on-line research and marketing services firm. Nia Enterprises, LLC provides opt-in, permission-based marketing data solutions for the growing and specialized area of ethnic markets in addition to comparison studies for the general market. As a result of its activities, the company provides the largest Multi-Cultural Consumer Advisory Panel. This opt-in, permission-based panel offers companies a direct link into the buying habits and consumer preferences of the rapidly growing U.S. ethnic population.

Prior to founding Nia Enterprises, Ms. Mayberry McKissack enjoyed a successful 23-year corporate career in technology, which included serving as the Worldwide Senior Vice President and General Manager, Open Port Technology. She was also Vice President for the Americas for 3Com (formerly U.S. Robotics). In 2005, Ms. Mayberry McKissack was named an Associate Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University.

Ms. Mayberry McKissack, a native of Seattle, Washington, received her B.S. from Seattle University and completed the four-year program in two-and-one-half years. She also received her MBA from Northwestern's J.L. Kellogg School of Management. Ms. Mayberry McKissack serves on the Board of Directors of The PrivateBanCorp (NASDAQ: PVTB), and as a Director of the Deluxe Corporation (NYSE: DLX). She is also a Board member for several Civic organizations including the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Chicago Library Foundation. Ms. Mayberry McKissack has received several acknowledgements for her leadership endeavors and is the recipient of the 2009 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Women of Achievement award.

Maria Green is Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Illinois Tool Works Inc. (“ITW”) in Glenview, Illinois. ITW is a $16 billion diversified manufacturer with 68,000 employees in 54 countries. ITW is a publicly-held Fortune 200 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ms. Green joined ITW’s twelve-member legal department in 1997. She has completed over 150 mergers and acquisitions since joining the Company, including several public company acquisitions. In addition, her practice includes corporate governance, SEC filings, import/export, and anti-trust matters, as well as supervision of toxic tort, product liability and employment litigation.

Prior to joining ITW, Ms. Green was general counsel of the Midwest division of Amtrak, a senior associate at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C. and in the legal department of Continental Illinois Bank and Trust Company.

Ms. Green has also been an adjunct professor at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Green is a graduate of Boston University Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the bar in the States of New York, Illinois and the District of Columbia.

Cheri Chappelle is the Director, Diversity and Inclusion for ITW, a 15.9 billion dollar global manufacturer of components and systems for a wide variety of industries. In this capacity she provides thought leadership for ITW’s approach to D&I including strategies to attract, develop and retain key talent as well as align D&I strategies with core business strategies. Cheri brings to this role more than thirty years of human resources and operations experience including profit and loss responsibility for a $26 million dollar electromechanical/electronics company; EEO and affirmative action compliance and human resources management. After beginning her professional career with Union Carbide Corporation, Cheri joined ITW in 1988.

Cheri serves as board chair of the Chicago Sinfonietta, the nation’s most diverse orchestra, a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow; past chair of Junior Achievement of Chicago - Central Division board, and an inaugural inductee to UNCF’s Women Who Lead. She holds a Masters degree in Industrial Relations from Loyola University of Chicago and a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University and is a certified Equal Opportunity and Labor Relations Professional.

Cheri and Norm, her husband, live in Chicago. They have three children, Nicholas, Nicole and Norman III.

Heather is a Partner in the Advisory Services Practice of KPMG LLP. Heather has over twenty years of accounting and information technology experience, focusing on risk management and control. Heather leads a Midwest team of IT professionals focused on business process and IT risk as it relates to processing financial information. She also serves as the lead IT partner for several global companies and as the national IT Leader for Accounting Change / International Financial Reporting. Her recent roles have included serving as the US demand generator for outsourced overseas operations.

Prior to joining KPMG, Heather served as a computer operator and telecommunication specialist and was stationed at Royal Air Force (RAF) Croughton, England and then at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Allied Forces Southern Europe in Naples Italy.

Heather also serves as the Board Chair for ATHENA International, an organization that develops, supports and honors women leaders in over 200 communities and seven countries. Heather travels to many of the ATHENA communities to increase awareness of ATHENA programs. Heather is also leading an effort to roll-out the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award program to over 20 offices within KPMG.

Heather graduated cum laude from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where she currently serves on the School of Accountancy Board of Advisors. Heather is a member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois CPA Society. Heather has recently been recognized by the Glass Hammer (www.glasshammer.com) as a Rising Star, by the Illinois CPA Society as a 2009 Women to Watch and by KPMG as their 2010 Working Mother of the Year (www.workingmother.com).

Jane L. Warner is executive vice president of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), a Fortune 200 diversified manufacturer of highly engineered components and industrial systems and consumables with revenues of over $15B billion. She is responsible for the global Decorative Surfaces and Finishing platforms.   

Ms. Warner joined ITW in 2005 as president of worldwide finishing systems after a starting her career in the automotive industry.  Jane worked for 20 years with General Motors where she held executive positions in vehicle engineering and manufacturing.  She began as a trainer in human resources, moved through the human resource ranks and transitioned into manufacturing where she was ultimately one of General Motors’ first female general superintendents running a vehicle assembly plant on second shift. 

She joined Textron Automotive in 1994 to become one of the few women to lead an automotive supplier.  She grew this domestic metal stamping and co-extruded fuel tank business to over $400M.   In 2,000 as the information age was booming, Jane joined Electronic Data Systems and became a corporate vice president responsible for leading their global manufacturing industry business.  She was responsible for cultivating the largest automotive deal outside of the historic General Motors business. Following four years with EDS, she resigned to become President of a manufacturing software start-up company, Plexus Systems, where she worked to prepare them for a subsequent sale transaction.

Ms. Warner graduated from Michigan Sate University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business and education and was a Sloan Fellow at Stanford University, where she received her MBA.  She is a director for NYSE companies Tenneco, Inc. and MeadWestvaco Corporation, is on the board of trustees for the John G. Shedd Aquarium and is a member of the Federal Advisory Council on Manufacturing to Secretary Gary Locke.  She is also a member of The Chicago Network and C-200.

Regine W. Corrado is a partner with the law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP in Chicago.  Ms. Corrado specializes in cross-border transactions, including the coordination of multi-country corporate transactions and restructurings outside the US. In particular, she concentrates on the planning and implementation of post-acquisition integrations, pre-spinoff or divestiture restructurings, and supply chain restructurings.  In addition, Ms. Corrado counsels US multinationals in connection with their international operations, as well as corporate and foreign investment compliance and maintenance of their global corporate portfolio. 

Ms. Corrado is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Alliance for Women.  She is also a member of the American Bar Association, International Law Division, the Chair of Baker & McKenzie’s North America Women’s Initiative, and a member of the Women’s Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Carole A. Spink is a partner with the law firm of Baker & McKenzie LLP in Chicago. Ms. Spink’s practice focuses on domestic and cross-border employment matters, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, global corporate reorganizations and outsourcing transactions. She frequently represents multinational companies in the due diligence, negotiation and implementation aspects of such transactions. She also assists employers with various employment counseling issues, including employment-related agreements, codes of conduct, global privacy and data protection, and reductions in force and other cost-cutting measures.

Based in Chicago, Katy Breitenbach is the first Catalyst team member to be on the ground in the Midwest market. In her role as Membership Manager, Ms. Breitenbach is dedicated to recruiting, developing, and supporting Catalyst member organizations as they advance their diversity and inclusion initiatives and create positive change for women and other diverse groups. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Ms. Breitenbach is a member of Catalyst’s Global Issue Specialty Team, which provides organization-wide leadership to Catalyst about issues related to inclusion across cultures and how corporate, local, and individual cultures overlap and affect one another and diversity initiatives.

Prior to joining Catalyst, Ms. Breitenbach worked in relationship management and management consulting with firms based in Chicago. She received her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Policy & Relations from Purdue University.

Christine M. Castellano is Associate General Counsel, South America and Europe, for Corn Products International, Inc. In this capacity, Ms. Castellano is responsible for the management of legal affairs throughout the Company’s operations in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She provides advice and counsel to the Company’s officers and local management, and directs activities of internal and outside legal counsel in these regions. Specific responsibilities include mergers and acquisitions; regulatory, environmental and sustainability; contract negotiations; license agreements; global intellectual property; antitrust and fair competition; and compliance and ethics policies. A former litigator, Ms. Castellano has been involved with numerous litigation matters, including a NAFTA Chapter 11 hearing on state responsibility involving a dispute with Mexico, and complex environmental matters in jurisdictions around the world.

Ms. Castellano joined the Corn Products Division of CPC International, Inc. (the predecessor company of Corn Products International) in 1996 as Attorney, and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including Counsel, US and Canada and Associate General International Counsel, with responsibility for South America, Asia and Africa. Prior to joining Corn Products International, Ms. Castellano was an income partner in the litigation department of the law firm McDermott, Will & Emery in Chicago, with emphasis on construction, labor and employment and general commercial litigation.

She is active in the ABA International Law Section, and is Co-Chair of the Corporate Counsel Committee and Vice-Chair of the U.S. Lawyers Practicing Abroad Committee of that Section and a member of the Publications Committee. In April, 2011, she received the International Law Section’s Outstanding Corporate Counsel Award in recognition of her significant contribution to the legal profession and the furtherance of the practice of law in the an international context. She is also a member of The Conference Board’s Council of Senior International Attorneys.

Ms. Castellano travels frequently to Europe, South America, and in Asia, to countries such as China, South Korea and Thailand.

Ms. Castellano holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan School of Law. She was admitted to the Colorado bar in 1990 and the Illinois bar in 1991.

Corn Products International is one of the world's largest corn refiners and a major supplier of high-quality food ingredients and industrial products derived from the wet milling and processing of corn and other starch-based materials. The Company, headquartered in Westchester, Ill., is a leading worldwide producer of dextrose and a major regional producer of starch, high fructose corn syrup and glucose. In 2009, Corn Products International reported net sales and diluted earnings per share of $3.67 billion and $0.54, respectively, with operations in 13 countries at 28 plants, including wholly owned businesses, affiliates and alliances. On October 1, 2010, Corn Products International completed its acquisition of National Starch, the specialty starches business of AkzoNobel N.V., for 1.3 billion dollars. For more information, visit www.cornproducts.com.

Lori Arnold has spent the majority of her 20 year career focused upon international tax planning. Most recently she was the VP of Tax at Nalco Company. She is now the Director of International Tax at Corn Products. Lori has a J.D. from Hastings College of the Law and a BBA from Notre Dame. She has three teenagers, a dog, and a very patient husband.

Anita J. Wilson is Vice President & Chief Employment Counsel at TreeHouse Foods, Inc., (NYSE: THS) one of the top private label food manufacturers in North America, where she oversees all aspects of employment, labor, compliance and ethics law and consults on compensation and benefits and other human resources matters. Prior to joining “the TreeHouse” in 2008, Anita managed the North American employment law team at Sara Lee Corporation and practiced law in the Labor Relations Department at McDonald’s Corporation.

Anita graduated from Northern Illinois University and the University of Illinois College of Law. Following law school she clerked for Justice William Cousins, Jr. at the Illinois Appellate Court and practiced law at the law firm Wildman, Harrold in Chicago.

Anita is passionate about matters related to workplace effectiveness for new college graduates and is a frequent speaker on the issue. Previously, as part of the Board of Directors of the Chicago chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, she co-founded a minority summer internship program that, each summer since 2003, has mentored and placed minority law students at Fortune 500 companies throughout the Chicagoland area. She has also served on the Advisory Board of the Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the Recent Alumni Board of the University of Illinois College of Law. Anita currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Sinfonietta and Communities in Schools of Chicago.

Connie L. Lindsey is Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Northern Trust, Chicago. She is responsible for the design and implementation of the global Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, and the development of goals, policies, and programs appropriate to the brand and business unit strategies.

Throughout the course of her 16-year Northern Trust career, Ms. Lindsey has held various leadership roles, including Deputy Business Head in Operations and Technology, Group Head in Northern Trust’s Personal Financial Services business, Director of Enterprise Relationship Management, and Manager in Treasury Management Consulting and Product Management.

Ms. Lindsey is National Board President of Girl Scouts of the USA, the highest ranking volunteer of this 3.4 million member organization. She also serves on the Board of Governors of the Metropolitan Club of Chicago and is a Delegate for Vision 2020, a national project focused on advancing gender equality by energizing the dialogue on the subject of women and leadership. Ms. Lindsey is a much sought after public speaker on the topics of business, corporate responsibility, leadership, mentoring, and personal and professional empowerment.

Ms. Lindsey has been profiled on national television on PBS’ 30GoodMinutes and ABC’s Heart and Soul. She has been recognized both professionally and in the community, and was the first female recipient of the Loretto Hospital Foundation’s 2011 Spirit of Achievement Award. Ms. Lindsey is also the recipient of the National Diversity Council’s Most Powerful and Influential Women for 2010 Award, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois-Advocacy Award, the N’Digo Corporate Leadership Award, and Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color Award.

Linda Nolan is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director in the Personal Financial Services Group, at The Northern Trust Company. She leads a team comprised of investment, trust, financial consulting and banking professionals delivering comprehensive solutions to successful individuals and their families.

Prior to her current role at the Company, Linda served as Managing Director of a Private Banking Group. Her responsibilities included financial management, business development and client servicing. Linda also served as Vice President and Managing Director of the State Street Financial Center. In this role, she created and implemented strategies to increase business development, as well as meet compliance objectives for Illinois Personal Financial Services.

Before joining Northern Trust in 2000, Linda was the Director of Community Alliance at Allstate Bank; Director of Specialized Industries-Insurance at Harris Bank; a Cash Management Officer at Bank of Boston and a Sales Representative at ALCOA.

Linda is a graduate of Florida A&M University with a B.S. degree in Marketing. She is a Certified Cash Manager. Linda is currently studying for the Certified Financial Planner designation.

Linda is a member of the Northern Trust Women in Leadership Initiative Executive Committee, serving as Chair. Linda is a Trustee of The DuSable Museum of African American History. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation Advisory Committee and Family Focus Englewood Board of Directors. Linda received recognition from Chicago United as a 2009 Business Leader of Color. She chairs the Walter Payton College Preparatory High School Local School Council.

Fran Fattah leads the educational consulting and diversity groups for 259 Strategies, LLC. In this capacity, Fran advises clients on negotiating with school districts, implementing diversity best practices including, but not limited to, conducting audits, developing policy, and implementation of supplier diversity initiatives.

Most recently, Fran served as deputy general counsel and a member of the leadership team of the Chester Upland School District. While serving the District, Fran worked on education-related contracts, special education compliance, communications, school management, and general emergency management. She previously served as Manager, Diversity Initiatives at a major Philadelphia law firm. She began her career at Schnader, Harrison, Segal and Lewis, LLP as a litigation associate in 2002. Fran also served the City of Philadelphia as a commissioner on the Tax Review Board.

Fran holds a Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law. While in law school, she completed a legal internship at The White House, under President William Jefferson Clinton. Also, she holds a Bachelors in English and African American studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2010, Fran was selected as one of two Pennsylvania delegates of Vision 2020. Also, Fran was previously named a Super Lawyer "Rising Star" and is an alumnus of the Urban League of Philadelphia's leadership development program. Fran was a trainer on networking for The Center for Progressive Leadership and Philadelphia Magazine says Fran "...has become a doyenne of the city's Democratic young-professional fund-raising network..."

Within the community, Fran has served as a board member for the Women's Law Project and also has served as a trustee of the Pennsylvania Ballet and Operation Understanding.

Shaelyn Otikor is a Vice President in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department functioning as the CSR Project Manager. She reports directly to the Head of CSR and is responsible for assisting with the development of Northern Trust’s global CSR strategy.

Shaelyn began her career at Northern Trust in 1996 as a high school intern. She held several positions within the Fund Administration segment including Accounting Analyst, Team Leader, and Business Process Analyst. In April 2005 she relocated to London to function as the Corporate Trainer during Northern Trust’s acquisition of the Barings/FSG Fund Company. Prior to her position in CSR she functioned as a Project Manager for institutional clients in the Public Funds and Not-For-Profit sectors; assisting clients with investments in foreign markets and other initiatives.

Shaelyn obtained her B.A. with a focus in Cross-Cultural Communication from DePaul University in Chicago and is currently pursuing her M.B.A. at the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business.