POSITION PROFILE President & CEO World Business Chicago Chicago, Illinois ABOUT WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO

POSITION PROFILE

President & CEO

World Business Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

ABOUT WORLD BUSINESS CHICAGO

World Business Chicago (‘WBC’) is a critical force in Chicago’s economic development engine.
LEARN MORE:

worldbusinesschicago.com

As Chicago’s public-private partnership agency, WBC’s fundamental mission is to

drive inclusive economic growth and job creaꢀon, support business and promote

Chicago as a leading global city.

World Business Chicago was formed as a privately funded organizaꢀon by the Civic Commiꢁee of the Commercial Club and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce in 1999. Today, it funcꢀons as an independent nonproﬁt enꢀty that works in close partnership with the City. Mayor Lori Lighꢂoot is Chair of the WBC

Board and Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments serves as Vice Chair.

Chicago is one of the largest and most diverse economies in the United States. Last year,

Under Mayor Lighꢂoot, the core focus of World Business Chicago is to help exisꢀng businesses thrive and aꢁract new companies to Chicago to build a

prosperous and equitable economy across all 77 neighborhoods. To support business development, WBC is also focused on sharing Chicago business success

stories naꢀonally and globally to drive a posiꢀve narraꢀve for Chicago as a desꢀnaꢀon for business growth and innovaꢀon.

Chicago’s gross regional product (GRP) was the third largest in the United States. In the 2020 Global Financial Centres Index Chicago ranked as having the sixth most

competitive ﬁnancial center in

the United States and 20th most

competitive ﬁnancial center in the

world. Chicago is a key player in every sector of business and topped the list of metropolitan U.S. cities in the Fortune 500 by cumulative revenue at $842.2 billion for 2019.

Key to the success of WBC is its Board of Directors, which is comprised of over 70 of Chicago’s most prominent business and civic leaders. These leaders are

charged with helping contribute to the economic landscape, including promoꢀng the beneﬁts of doing business in the Chicago area to their peers worldwide. The WBC Board includes 70+ of Chicago’s most inﬂuenꢀal business leaders represenꢀng companies such as Motorola, Boeing, Hyaꢁ, United Airlines, Exelon,

JPMorgan Chase, Ulta Beauty and Loop Capital among others. A complete list of board members can be found on WBC’s website .

Mayor Lori Lighꢂoot’s administraꢀon has been commiꢁed to inclusive economic

development through an equitable lens by focusing on bringing business

opportuniꢀes to all 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. In October 2019, the Lighꢂoot Administraꢀon spearheaded the pioneering community economic improvement collaboraꢀve iniꢀaꢀve, INVEST South/West, which is aꢁracꢀng public and private investments for 10 target neighborhoods. In its ﬁrst year, the City invested more than $70 million in public resources into 12 commercial corridors and catalyzed

more than $300 million in corporate and philanthropic commitments. Building on

this commitment to economic development, Mayor Lighꢂoot envisions WBC will

play an expanded, pivotal role in partnerships with investors.

President & CEO, World Business Chicago

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WBC’s eﬀorts are focused on:

1. Inclusive and equitable growth of the Chicago regional economy through

targeted business attraction, retention and expansion efforts;
2. Promoting Chicago on a global scale as an international, inclusive and equitable center of products, services and ideas, especially for the city’s high growth industry verticals (Technology, TDL, Manufacturing, Health Care & Life Sciences, Food & Agriculture);

3. Leading the collection, analysis and dissemination of data critical to WBC’s clients and partners; and

4. Leading, hosting and coordinating engagement opportunities between the business community, the Mayor, and the Mayor’s Office to support

economic growth.

WBC is a not-for-profit economic development organizaꢀon. Its budget is projected to be around $5 million in 2021. The budget is funded by membership dues ($50,000 per member), city contribuꢀons, grants and an annual gala. WBC has a staff of around 30 full-ꢀme employees. In 2013, Chicago Sister Ciꢀes Internaꢀonal formally joined WBC, a merger that is complimentary and costeffecꢀve for both organizaꢀons.

Rising to Mayor Lighꢂoot’s challenge to rebuild the economy, WBC is working

in partnership with the business community and other stakeholders to leverage

Chicago’s tremendous resources to aꢁract companies and encourage job growth

and economic development in neighborhoods throughout Chicago, especially in

light of the criꢀcally important recovery eﬀorts for the city post pandemic. Key to Chicago’s post pandemic recovery is a focus on a swiﬅ reopening of the city and clear focus on high priority growth areas. The full Recovery Task Force Plan &

Report is available on the City’s website.

A list of WBC’s Board and more informaꢀon on the organizaꢀon and its work can

be found at www.worldbusinesschicago.com.

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THE OPPORTUNITY

The President & CEO (‘CEO’) of World Business Chicago is a highly visible leader responsible for continued development and oversight of the organization as it furthers its mission of attracting businesses, creating jobs in Chicago, promoting engagement between City government and the business community, and contributing to inclusive growth across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

The CEO serves an inﬂuenꢀal member of the Mayor’s broader economic team. The posiꢀon reports to the Mayor, and WBC’s Vice-Chair, currently Mellody

Hobson, Co-CEO & President of Ariel Investments. This leader works directly with

Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar and the City’s Chief Markeꢀng Oꢃcer, Michael Fassnacht.

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THE OPPORTUNITY

Keys for success include:

• Serving as the primary representaꢀve of WBC to the business community, internaꢀonal community, governmental enꢀꢀes and other key consꢀtuent groups;

• With the input of WBC’s Board, developing and insꢀtuꢀng strategies to further WBC’s mission;

• Serving as the leader of the organizaꢀon, seꢄng goals and objecꢀves and leading reassessment eﬀorts when necessary;

• Engaging with exisꢀng Chicago’s business leaders to help their companies to thrive across all neighborhoods;

• Driving business development eﬀorts to aꢁract new companies to Chicago, especially in selected growth industry verꢀcals;

• Spearheading selected iniꢀaꢀves for WBC and Chicago as appropriate; • Supporꢀng the Mayor’s Oꢃce Recovery Taskforce Iniꢀaꢀves to posiꢀon

Chicago as a business friendly and inclusive growth-

oriented city;
• Close coordinaꢀng with the Mayor’s Oꢃce to ensure the implementaꢀon of the Mayor’s economic vision and strategy;

• Building a wide network of strong relaꢀonships with key business leaders and associaꢀons across the country and internaꢀonally;

• Collaboraꢀng with the Chicago’s Sister Ciꢀes team to foster key internaꢀonal relaꢀonships for our +29 Sister Ciꢀes and beyond;

• Raising funds and other support to further the mission

of WBC;
• Ensuring the eﬀecꢀve management of WBC,

including overseeing the day-to-day leadership of the

organizaꢀon and staﬀ;

• Working with WBC Vice Chair and Board members to

recruit new members for the Board; and
• Other duꢀes as necessitated or as directed by the

Board.

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CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal leader of WBC will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills and characteristics:

An Ambassador & Business Developer

The CEO will have the character and conﬁdence to work fearlessly to in a highly visible role and to interact eﬀecꢀvely with a broad range of consꢀtuents. As the

business development lead for Chicago and WBC, the CEO will be a ‘closer’ who

can bring iniꢀaꢀves to a successful conclusion, furthering business development for Chicago and growing revenues for WBC. As a criꢀcal voice for the city and WBC, it is important that this leader bring strong communicaꢀons and media skills. The CEO will be an eﬀecꢀve communicator with a dynamic, energeꢀc

and credible personality who will represent Chicago globally to CEOs, Boards of

Directors, governmental oꢃcials and other stakeholders. This leader will clearly arꢀculate WBC’s value and possess an inherent ability to ‘sell in a boardroom’ as

well as other environments. The CEO will understand the leadership challenges

of high-proﬁle environments and will be poliꢀcally adept.

A Relationship Builder & Inﬂuencer

The successful CEO will be a persuasive ambassador for Chicago and the mission

of WBC, a collaborator and a skilled relaꢀonship builder. They will have strong

interpersonal skills with the gravitas

to develop posiꢀve and producꢀve relaꢀonships on all levels, including

the senior-most levels of business leadership. To thrive in this role, they

will need to demonstrate emoꢀonal intelligence and nurture authenꢀc connecꢀons. In addiꢀon, the successful

leader will understand the importance of being a key civic leader on economic

development iniꢀaꢀves that drive

inclusive growth while not engaging in advocacy. The CEO will be inclusive and have the ability to facilitate best approaches to building consensus

among mulꢀple stakeholders.

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CANDIDATE PROFILE

A Dynamic Leader

The CEO is a results-oriented self-starter and finisher who is resourceful and entrepreneurial, but also able to work with a varied group of consꢀtuents ranging from business leaders to governmental enꢀꢀes to the WBC staff. This leader will effecꢀvely leverage the Board and formulate intersecꢀonal business strategies across public and private sectors to ensure organizaꢀonal sustainability and

enhance WBC programs. They will bring a proven record of empowering people,

developing teams and maintaining a posiꢀve culture within an organizaꢀon. The CEO will encourage collaboraꢀon across funcꢀonal areas and help staff to understand their role in achieving WBC’s strategic goals, promoꢀng strong team cohesion and respect. In addiꢀon, the successful leader will have experience managing the day-to-day operaꢀons of a business or nonprofit organizaꢀon and bring a high degree of financial savvy.

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CANDIDATE PROFILE

A Passion for the Mission

The CEO has the interest in, and ability to, strongly represent WBC’s mission of

inclusive growth and diversity in the city. His or her acꢀons will be driven by a deep appreciaꢀon for Chicago and the ability to have a profound impact on the

city across all its neighborhoods. This leader will embrace the culture of Chicago

and WBC and exude an unquesꢀonable passion for expanding impact.

Leaders from a variety of backgrounds will be aꢀracꢁve. Experience in the private sector is parꢁcularly important as well as knowledge of government, economic development and related sectors.

Experience with nonproﬁts is not required, but voluntary and/or civic leadership and community engagement will be aꢀracꢁve.

Execuꢁves from across the country are encouraged to express interest. Leaders who have lived in Chicago will ﬁnd it advantageous to build on exisꢁng networks.

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CONTACT

Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has

been exclusively retained for this engagement. Alison P. Ranney, Tiara Muse and Alison

Salisbury are leading this search. To make recommendations or to express your interest in

this role please email [email protected]

All nominations, inquiries, and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

WBC is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages expressions

of interest from people of color, persons with disabiliꢀes, women, and LGBTQ+

leaders.

About Koya Partners

Koya Partners, a member of the Diversified Search Group, is a leading execuꢀve search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecꢀng excepꢀonally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, insꢀtuꢀons of higher educaꢀon, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communiꢀes and around the

world.

Koya is an equal opportunity employer fully commiꢁed to creaꢀng an environment and team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspecꢀves, styles, and experiences. We encourage all to apply because we believe a diversity of voices leads to beꢁer discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.

For more informaꢀon about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.

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