CHICAGO – World Business Chicago’s (WBC) co-chair, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, appointed five new board members to its prominent Board of Directors at the economic development organization’s quarterly Board meeting today at McCormick Place.
WBC welcomes the following new Board members:
Debra A. Cafaro is Chairman, President and CEO of Ventas, Inc., a leading healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns a diversified portfolio of over 500 healthcare and senior housing assets located in 43 states and two Canadian provinces. Ventas was added to the S&P 500 Index in March 2009, and is one of the ten largest REITs in the United States.
Deborah L. DeHaas is the Vice Chairman and Midwest Regional Managing Partner for Deloitte LLP, including offices in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, Lincoln, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines. With 5,000 professionals, Deloitte is the largest Big Four firm in the region. In this role, Deborah leads the quality, client satisfaction, growth and human resource initiatives.
Daniel Hamburger is the Chief Executive Officer of DeVry Inc., a publicly-held, global provider of educational services, which was recently added to the S&P 500. Hamburger joined DeVry in 2002 as Executive Vice President, responsible for DeVry’s online operations and Becker Professional Review.
Paul A. Laudicina is Chairman of the Board and Managing Officer of global management consulting firm, A.T. Kearney. Paul also serves as the Chairman for A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council, among the consulting industry’s longest standing strategic services for CEOs focused on identifying global growth opportunities and managing business risks.
Thomas F. Motamed is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CNA Financial. CNA is the 7th largest U.S. commercial lines insurer and the 13th largest U.S. property and casualty insurer. He also chairs an Executive Committee which is responsible for strategy, results and oversight of all business units of CNA Financial Corporation, including the direction of an Operating Committee.
“We are grateful to have such a strong and engaged Board of Directors to lead World Business Chicago in reaching out to companies across the globe,” said Rita Athas, executive director of World Business Chicago. “The new additions to our Board will give us a significant edge in attracting new businesses and continuing to add jobs to Chicago’s diverse economy.”
WBC’s Board of Directors, chaired by Mayor Daley and co-chaired by Mr. Michael D. O'Halleran, SEVP & Director, Aon Corporation, includes 23 members drawn from the city’s leading firms and business-related organizations.
Today’s board meeting also marked World Business Chicago’s 10th anniversary since its creation in 1999. The organization has won many accolades over the years (Top Economic Development Group for four consecutive years) and won praise for the city’s economic development strategy (fDi Magazine’s City of the Future). But most importantly, WBC has helped countless companies decide to make Chicago home, bringing thousands of new jobs for Chicagoans.
Here are 10 retention/relocation highlights from the past 10 years:
The Boeing Company
After a closely watched site selection process, The Boeing Company announced that it would relocate its world headquarters from Seattle to Chicago, instilling a new confidence in Chicago as a global business destination able to accommodate the needs of any company.
CareerBuilder
WBC helped CareerBuilder’s executive team find good reason to retain 1,415 jobs in Chicago at 200 N. LaSalle Street, with a commitment to add an additional 185 jobs over 2 years.
CNA
World Business Chicago was integral in CNA’s decision to keep its corporate headquarters downtown and convert the 45-story, 1.15 million-square-foot building at 333 S. Wabash St. to a multi-tenant building, retaining 3,000 jobs and creating 200 new ones.
Ford Motor Company and Supplier Park
The Ford Motor Company opened North America's first automotive supplier manufacturing campus, built on a 155-acre brownfield site near its Chicago assembly plant, with investments totaling more than $400 million.
MillerCoors
Chicago welcomed MillerCoors, the second largest beer company in the United States, to its new corporate headquarters at 250 S. Wacker Dr. The company signed a 15-year lease agreement for nearly 130,000 square feet, bringing 325 new jobs to the city.
Mittal Steel
Mittal Steel, the world's largest steel company, picked Chicago as home to its U.S. headquarters, moving 212 management workers into 1 S. Dearborn St., a 40-story office tower.
NAVTEQ
WBC assisted NAVTEQ in leasing 230,000 square feet at 100 North Riverside Plaza (the Boeing Building), one of the larger downtown tenant moves, retaining approximately 550 employees and adding an additional 350 new full-time jobs.
United
United Airlines chose downtown Chicago as its world headquarters, bringing nearly 630 corporate jobs in 2006. More recently, in one of Chicago’s largest corporate relocations, United Airlines announced that it will move its operational center, including 2,800 jobs, downtown to the Willis Tower in 2010.
U.S. Cellular
WBC assisted U.S. Cellular with a multi-faceted deal upon its entrance into the Chicago area market. The wireless provider announced the creation of 655 jobs, $90 million in infrastructure development and a $1.6 million agreement with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events.
Veolia Environnement
The world’s largest environmental services company selected Chicago as its North American headquarters, signing a 34,500-sq.-ft. lease in the Aon Center (200 East Randolph Street) and occupying one floor with approximately 60 executive managers and administrative personnel.
WBC has also been a liaison to hundreds of smaller companies that have located in Chicago from across the globe, or across the region over the past 10 years, many of which have since experienced substantial growth. Some examples include:
Archipelago / ArcaEx
British School of Chicago
Brunswick
Infinium
Hostway
Jump Trading
Kelman North America HQ
NavAero
Nordex
Orbitz
Performics
Pollman
Revere Group
Sarcom/PC Mall
Swiss Trade Hub
Think or Swim
Threadless
Trading Technologies
True Partners
Vestas
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World Business Chicago (WBC) is a not-for-profit economic development organization promoting metropolitan Chicago. WBC markets Chicago's competitive advantages, coordinates business retention and attraction efforts, and seeks to enhance Chicago's business-friendly environment. WBC's Board of C-level corporate executives is chaired by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Media Contact:
Karley Sweet | 312.553.4658
