Emerging Leaders Class of 2014
The Emerging Leaders Class of 2014 spent two years examining key issues that affect the world and impact the global city of Chicago.
They heard from experts on issues such as the global economy, international diplomacy, energy, and the environment. In addition to meeting regularly as a class, they worked on individual projects with Council experts to examine key global challenges.
This cohort of leaders from around Chicago was chosen by an independent selection committee from a highly competitive pool of applicants.
Class of 2014
Partner, Head of Middle East Practice, Kirkland & Ellis
Kamran Bajwa specializes in complex international legal matters, particularly in the Middle East and emerging markets. He has advised major international NGOs on intercultural dialogue across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. He's lived in Dubai, Cairo, and Bahrain, and has worked in over 20 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Vice President of Sales, Southwest Airlines
Aileen Furlong Caffrey leads premier programs and global air partnerships at Southwest Airlines. Previously, while under her leadership at United Airlines, Mileage Plus was named Best Elite-Level Program in the Americas for the second straight year at the Frequent Traveler Awards, as well as Best Frequent Flyer Program by Global Traveler magazine.
Chief Executive Officer, Dimension Bio
Caralynn Collens previously served as executive director and COO of UI LABS, where she led the entire research and commercialization initiative, including the $320 million Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute. Before that, she was associate vice president for innovation and economic development at the University of Illinois.
Senior Advisor, KittyHawk
Before working at KittyHawk, Lincoln S. Ellis led Green Square's strategy and business development practices and headed the firm's Chicago branch, Green Square's first office outside of Memphis. He created Columbia University's Columbia International Affairs Online (ciaonet.org), one of the first and most comprehensive databases for theory and research in economics and international affairs.
Senior Counsel, The Boeing Company
Before joining Boeing, Anthony P. Garcia was with the US Department of Justice. His last assignment was to the gangs and narcotics section in the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. He also served as the US Department of Justice attaché assigned to the US embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, and worked in the Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs.
Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Duke University Fuqua School of Business
Jamie Jones works with students, alumni, and members of the community to apply business principles for positive societal and/or environmental impact. Before her time at Duke, she was at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she launched the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge and co-hosted the Impact Investing Summit.
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, DayBreak Skincare
Seth Kravitz is the former co-founder of Technori, a publication that celebrates entrepreneurship, and Bow Truss, a premium coffee roasting company. After falling in love with the Chicago entrepreneur community, Kravitz started mentoring at the Coleman Center at DePaul University, the Knapp Center at IIT, Excelerate Labs, and Code Academy.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Topography
William Krehbiel is the founder and CEO of Topography Hospitality, LLC, and co-managing partner of Ballyfin Demesne, a luxury hotel in Ireland. He previously founded and led A Better Chicago, a venture philanthropy fund supporting high-impact nonprofits serving low-income communities.
Principal, New Frontier Holdings
Nate Laurell is the former CEO of The Fresh Factory and current board chair, advising the company on all aspects related to continued growth and high-level strategic considerations. He has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, having founded and sold several companies in the finance, energy, and food industries.
Global CC General Manager, Nubank
Emilia Lopez is the former vice president in the strategy group at CapitalOne, based in the McLean office. She worked to support CapitalOne's lines of business in critical strategic efforts. Before joining CapitalOne, Lopez was a principal with The Boston Consulting Group in Chicago.
Founder & Executive Director, Women’s Global Education Project
Amy Maglio is the founder and executive director of Women’s Global Education Project (WGEP), an organization recognized for its innovative women's empowerment approach by the Obama Foundation, IBM, and the UN Girls Education Initiative.
Founder & Executive Director, Free Spirit Media
Jeff McCarter is a media producer, director, cameraman, and editor who founded Free Spirit Media, a media education, production, and workforce development nonprofit organization.
Chief Financial Officer, Allstate Enterprise Solutions
Josh Milberg is a recognized leader in sustainability, smart grid technology, and electric vehicle strategy. As former regional vice president for Midwest operations at Willdan Energy Solutions, he built the region’s energy efficiency and smart grid practice and advised key clients. His background spans strategy, finance, environmental policy, economics, and organizational development.
Senior Advisor, CVS Health
Rebecca Riebe is a global technology professional currently advising at CVS Health and previously consulting with Strategic Systems and Innovation at Hyatt Corporation. She spent the early part of her career in operations with DHL, Procter & Gamble, and Fritz Companies/UPS, among others, focusing on data project management, import/export regulation, global supply chain, and strategic market focus.
President, Lifecycle Solutions, Customer Support and Supply Management, John Deere
Justin Rose serves clients primarily in the industrial goods and energy industries. In addition to supporting his clients on a host of strategic and operational issues, he has also co-authored various high-profile reports, including the series of "Made in America, Again" reports focused on the return of manufacturing to the United States.
Principal Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Before joining the CDC, Dr. Nirav Shah was in the global life sciences practice of the law firm Sidley Austin, LLP, and a lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he taught courses in global public health and mathematical epidemiology. Shah also served as the chief economist of the Ministry of Health of Cambodia during his tenure as a Henry Luce Scholar.
Director of Policy and Advocacy, Chicago Jobs Council
Before his role at the Chicago Job Council, Jacob Sitati cofounded Maurice + Fischer, an international advocacy firm focused on public affairs, public policy, and market entry strategy. He directed the overall business for the firm and led the counsel on policy and advocacy work.
Founder, Wiggs Holding
Ted Souder is a former Google insider, former vice chair of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and current board director at 1871, one of the top-rated technology incubators in the world. Today, Souder speaks at events worldwide on the topic of digital transformation and its positive impact on business, community, and life.
Partner, A.T. Kearney
During his consulting career, Yves Thill has had the opportunity to work with numerous leading companies across various industries on a range of issues. More recently, he has been focused on supply management in the consumer goods and retail industry, particularly in the food and beverage sector. Before joining A.T. Kearney, Thill worked in international banking in Europe.
Executive Vice President, Zeno Group
Before joining the Zeno Group, Courtney Thompson served as Boeing's government operations leader for the Great Lakes region, which included Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In this capacity, she led the company's community outreach efforts for the business, government, and international communities as well as Boeing's Chicago Global Corporate Citizenship team.
Partner, A.T. Kearney
As a partner at A.T. Kearney and former executive vice president of crisis, issues, and risk at Edelman, Jennifer Thompson develops strategy and mitigation solutions for corporate crisis and risk avoidance. Working with multinational clients to respond to situations and also proactively develop reputation management plans, she engaged Edelman's team to help guide the practice internationally.
Chief Executive Officer, Magna Legal Services
Mark Williams is the CEO of Magna Legal Services, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. He previously served as president and COO of PPL Group and Big Shoulders Capital, and before that, as president and CEO of Kroll Ontrack, a global legal technology company with over 1,200 employees in 35 offices across 20 countries.