Fireside Chats
Each quarter of the academic year, first and second-year Austin scholars at Kellogg are invited to join the Austin advisor for a ‘Fireside Chat’ with an esteemed business or civic leader. The Austins, the advisor, and the guest gather in an informal space (often the Northwestern University Alumni Center), where the group engages in a conversation about leadership. Below is a sampling of recent ‘Fireside’ guests.
2012-2013
Arthur Mollenhauer, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago
Amy and Prasad Ravi, entrepreneurs
Hank Paulson, former US Secretary of Treasury and Chairman and CEO Goldman Sachs
2011-2012
Carter Cast, Kellogg professor and former President and CEO of Walmart.com
Betsy and Arthur Holden, former co-CEO of Kraft and entrepreneur, respectively
Harry Kraemer and Wally Scott, Kellogg professors and former CEOs of Baxter International and Ameriprise, respectively
2010 - 2011
Jim Farrell, CEO of Illinois Toolworks
Andy Code, founder of CHS Capital, President of the Code Family Foundation, founder of the Chicago Fellowship.
Sally Blount, current Dean of the Kellogg School of Management
2009 - 2010
Gordon and Carole Segal, co-founders and current executives of Crate and Barrel.
Greg White, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Kellogg School of Management and current President & CEO of LEARN Charter School Network.
Leslie White, Director of Portfolio Management at ShoreCap International, a private fund that provides investment capital to regulated microfinance and small business banks in Africa and Asia.
Beth Houle (KSM '95), Chief of Staff, Opportunity International. Managing $600 million in assets, Opportunity International serves poor families in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America with micro-loans, savings, insurance and training.
David Pope (KSM '94), President, Village of Oak Park, IL. The Village of Oak Park is a diverse community of 55,000 residents just west of Chicago. David brings to the role his professional background in management consulting, having served as a Principal with Price Waterhouse's Strategy Consulting Practice prior to founding his own firm.
2008 - 2009 Betsy Holden (KSM), Current Senior Advisor to McKinsey, Former CEO of Kraft. Also involved with the
Kellogg Innovation Network.
Charles Lewis, Member of the National Finance Committee for the Obama Presidential
Campaign & Penny Sebring, Founding Co-Director of the Consortium on Chicago School
Research (CCSR) at the Urban Education Institute.
Kevin Connelly, Chairman of Spencer Stuart. Within the firm, he is the elected representative
of the partners, chairs the board and partners' meetings and is responsible for providing strategic
perspective to the firm's business and finances. He is also an active search professional,
consulting with clients on executive leadership succession and board projects.
2007 - 2008
Brenda Barnes, Chairman and CEO of Sara Lee
Mike Ivers, President of Goodcity
2006 - 2007 NA
2005 - 2006
Beth Houle & David Pope, Exec VP, Opportunity International & Mayor, Oak Park
Deborah L. DeHaas, Vice Chair & Regional Managing Partner, Deloitte & Touche USA
LLP Midwest Region
Philip M. Condit, former Chairman, CEO & President, Boeing
2004 - 2005 Jim Lowry, Partner, Boston Consulting Group
Betsy & Arthur Holden, former Co-CEO, Kraft Foods & entrepreneur
Bruce & Diana Rauner, Chairman, GTCR Golder Rauner & Chair, Board of Trustees,
National Louis University
2003 - 2004 Harry Kraemer, President and CEO, Baxter International
Samuel Skinner, CEO USF, Former White House Chief of Staff and Secretary of
Transportation
Janet Knupp, President, Chicago Public Education Fund
2002 - 2003
Brenda Barnes, Former CEO, Pepsi - North America, now CEO, Sara Lee
Dennis Bakke, CEO, AES, now CEO, Imagine Schools
Greg White, Senior Partner, Chicago Venture Partners
2001 - 2002 Mike Koldyke, Chairman, Frontac Capital
Gordon Segal, CEO and founder, Crate & Barrel
Pat Cafferata, CEO, Young & Rubicam Chicago
2000 - 2001 Bud Ogle, CEO, Good News Partners
Jerry Markbreit, NFL Super Bowl referee, counter trade expert for 3M
Sheli Rosenberg, CEO, Equity Group Investments
1999 - 2000
Steve Zucker, leading sports agent
Janet Knupp, President, Chicago Public Education Fund
Mike Koldyke, CEO, Frontenac Capital
1998 - 1999 Gary Mecklenburg, CEO, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
Judy Sprieser, - CEO, Transora, former Exec VP, Sara Lee
Ira Harris, Senior Partner, Salomon Brothers, advisor to Pritzker family
1997 - 1998 Bruce Rauner, CEO, GTCR Venture Capital
Bob Morrison, CEO, Quaker Oats
Dick & Janet Morrow, former CEO, Amoco & CEO of a nonprofit
1996 - 1997 Raj Gupta, Managing Partner, McKinsey
John McCarter, CEO, Field Museum
Bud Ipema, CEO, MidAmerica Leadership Foundation
1995 - 1996
John Edwardson, President, UAL, now CEO, CDW
Pete Wilmott, former CEO, Maytag, Carson Pirie Scott, venture capitalist
Steve Zucker, leading sports agent, Deion Sanders
1994 - 1995 John Madigan, CEO, Tribune Companies