EXECUTIVES BREAKFAST CLUB / EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Leadership, up close.
Executive Director · 2018–2020
Organizational strategy · Programming · Speaker interviews · Marketing & communications · Event production
As Executive Director of the Executives Breakfast Club, I led the strategy, programming, and communications for a Chicago-area institution with a national speaker legacy. My task was to make access to exceptional leaders useful to the business community gathering around them.
A national legacy. An intimate room.
The club’s published history records more than 50,000 executives reached and 300 distinguished guests, including U.S. presidents, Fortune 500 CEOs, cabinet secretaries, authors, and cultural figures.
Its historic guests included Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton; Oprah Winfrey; Steve Forbes; and Zig Ziglar, alongside leaders from General Motors, Walgreens, Kraft Foods, and Ace Hardware.
During my tenure, events took place on McDonald’s campus in Oak Brook, Illinois, with McDonald’s and Ace Hardware among the club’s sponsors. I shaped the season’s direction, the guest experience, and the communications that brought members into the room.
The decisions behind the success.
The premise was simple: leaders learn from the experiences that test other leaders. Each speaker chose ten questions from a shared leadership questionnaire, creating a conversation about judgment, courage, failure, and the personal demands of responsibility.
What was the hardest decision you ever had to make in the workplace, and what principles guided you in your decision-making?
We explored the difficult decision, the mistake that changed an approach, and the conditions that allow a team to excel. A live member Q&A extended those reflections into questions leaders were facing in their own organizations.
Getting beneath the biography.
I interviewed Kelly Leonard of The Second City, then Executive Director of Insights and Applied Improvisation. His experiences with celebrated performers revealed the less visible work of creative leadership: building trust, enabling collaboration, and helping talent thrive.
My speaker preparation covered a broad group of CEOs, founders, and senior leaders. Among them were Michael Fassnacht, then President & CEO of FCB Chicago; Lisa Wardell, then CEO of Adtalem Global Education; Andrew Limouris, Founder & CEO of Medix; and Kirk Dillard, Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority. Each conversation explored the choices behind the career, giving members more than a biography.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are right, it matters if people trust you to make the right decision.”
Lisa Wardell · Then CEO, Adtalem Global Education
Breakfast Bite · March 11, 2020 ↗
My relationships extended across the membership, Executive Council, and sponsor community, including Maureen Beal, then CEO & Chairman of National Van Lines, and John Venhuizen, President & CEO of Ace Hardware. Ace was a major sponsor with a regular table at the events.
Set the direction. Deliver the experience.
I connected programming and event production with speaker research, interviews, and communications. I wrote the biweekly email newsletter—the club’s principal attendance driver—developed creative and social content, managed public relations, and shaped growth strategies. The role required close coordination with the Executive Council, speakers, sponsors, and members.
A leadership insight that fits into the day.
A busy leader may not have time for an article or podcast. A well-chosen thought from someone they respect can still interrupt the rush and offer a useful perspective.
I created “Breakfast Bites” for that moment: a recurring visual and editorial series featuring concise leadership insights and guest reflections. It brought the value of the club into members’ daily feeds and sustained the conversation between events.
Read my 2018 article: “Like Nothing You’ve Experienced” ↗
View Breakfast Bite: John Venhuizen, CEO, Ace Hardware ↗
THE GUEST PERSPECTIVE
“It’s fuel for my business spirit. Every time I walk out I am happy and uplifted.”
EBC guest · “Breakfast Bites”
February 28, 2020
Leadership that carries through to delivery.
The role combined executive relationships, organizational direction, editorial judgment, and delivery. I bring that same combination to fractional CMO engagements: understanding the people involved, setting priorities, and translating decisions into work that reaches the audience.