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Emerging Leaders Directory

With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.

Adam Hitchcock 

Managing Director, Great Lakes Global Holdings
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Adam Hitchcock is a managing partner at Great Lakes Global Holdings, and before that, at Guggenheim Partners. Before joining Guggenheim, Hitchcock served as the chief of staff of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He also served as a special assistant in the White House Office of the Chief of Staff, where he provided support to President Obama’s senior advisors.

Jon Horek 

Vice President, Hydrogen and Low Carbon Fuels, Invenergy
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In his previous role at engineering consulting firm Sargent & Lundy, Jon Horek advised clients and delivered projects in the electric utility, gas utility, heavy industry, institutional, and commercial building sectors. He broadly focuses his work on three trends transforming global energy infrastructure—efficiency, decarbonization, and resiliency.

Mark Hoyt 

Chief Financial Officer, Popmenu
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Mark Hoyt is Popmenu’s first chief financial officer, bringing over 25 years of experience in leading financial performance for global SaaS companies and startups. He plays a key role in supporting Popmenu’s mission to help restaurants succeed through technology innovation. Before joining Popmenu, Hoyt led international growth at Groupon and served as VP of international finance at CareerBuilder.

Michael Hubbard 

Senior Portfolio Manager, Thrivent Mutual Funds
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Prior to joining Thrivent Mutual Funds—a subsidiary of Thrivent Financial—Michael Hubbard was an analyst covering U.S. small cap financials and real estate at William Blair Investment Management. While in this role, he founded and led the company’s veteran business resource group and served as one of the founding board members of the Alliance Board.

Mariam Huss 

Chief Executive Officer, Axxum Consulting
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Mariam Huss is the CEO of Axxum Consulting, a management consulting firm providing services in change management, organization design, and program management. She has 15 years of experience in professional services and has held roles at IBM, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and the Hackett Group, and has served on the board of the Women’s Global Education Project, among others.

Sarah Elizabeth Ippel 

Founder & Executive Director, Academy for Global Citizenship
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Sarah Elizabeth Ippel is the founder and executive director of the Academy for Global Citizenship, a Chicago Public Elementary School on a global mission that serves 96% minority children and families. AGC is developing the next generation of critical thinkers and mindful leaders to positively impact their communities and the world beyond.

Adrienne Irmer 

AVP for External Affairs, Illinois Institute of Technology
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A proud native of Chicago’s South Side, Adrienne Irmer has been a passionate champion of social causes for over 16 years. Her professional work has crossed all sectors, including electoral campaign work at all levels of government. Irmer previously served on the legislative staff of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and with the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management.

Bryant Ives 

Managing Director, Ernst & Young
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Bryant Ives is a managing director with Ernst & Young's consulting practice, focusing on supply chain, finance, analytics, and emerging tech within the advanced manufacturing and mobility group. He has a proven track record of working with clients to support them with enterprise and business unit transformations aimed at unlocking value and driving efficiencies.

Michael R. Jarecki 

Founder & Principal Attorney, Jarecki Law Group, LLC
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Michael R. Jarecki is the principal and founding attorney of Jarecki Law Group, LLC, a Chicago-based full-service U.S. immigration law firm, and he's a board member of the Federal Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section. The AILA Chicago chapter awarded Jarecki the Minsky Beacon of Light Award for his dedication to the advancement of the immigration field and for outstanding mentorship.

Minoo Javanmardian 

Partner, Oliver Wyman
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Minoo Javanmardian joined Oliver Wyman's health and life sciences practice with over 25 years of experience as a strategy consultant, executive coach, and business leader in the healthcare industry. She's focused on developing strategy-based transformation in the healthcare industry, including the payors (health plans) and providers (e.g., hospitals and clinics) sectors.