Shaping the Next 250 Years

John R. Ettelson became president of William Blair in 2003, became CEO in 2004, and is now chairman emeritus. He was named chair of the board of directors for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2021. He is a respected civic leader and, in 2019, received the prestigious Illinois Holocaust Museum Humanitarian Award for his ongoing commitment to the community through both philanthropy and volunteerism.

Since leading United Airlines through the global lockdown caused by the pandemic, Brett J. Hart has built a culture of safety, caring, dependability, and efficiency for its customers, while serving as a champion of diversity and inclusion for the community.

Fay Hartog-Levin is a distinguished fellow at the Council where she works on a variety of political, international, and environmental issues. She previously served as the 65th ambassador of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands where she was chief of mission of an embassy which included 15 federal agencies, four locations, and over 250 employees.

John Kirby is the director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago. Previously, he served as a rear admiral in the US Navy and was senior spokesman for the Pentagon, State Department, and White House.

Dr. Raymond Kuo joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2026 as Vice President of Research, Geostrategy. Kuo also serves as the Marshall M. Bouton Senior Fellow for Asia Studies at the Council, focusing on US-China competition, alliance dynamics, and regional order in the Indo-Pacific.

Tanya Polsky is a passionate philanthropist, recognized for her lifelong commitment to volunteerism, entrepreneurship, and leadership in humanitarian efforts. Currently, she's the president of the Polsky Foundation, founder of Our Home Ukraine, and co-founder of the BRCA Research & Cure Alliance (CureBRCA), among other organizations.

Dr. Ariane Tabatabai joined the Council in 2026 as the vice president of research, security and defense. She also serves as senior fellow for the Middle East, focusing on nuclear security and regional security dynamics in the Middle East.

Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She is Professor of Practice in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.