The Harris Council is the lead advisory group to the Dean and school administrators and is comprised of accomplished professionals with substantial experience in the public, non-profit, and private sectors.

The Council's contributions range from providing advice and financial support to interacting with students and connecting the work of Harris Public Policy to the world.

Harris Council Members

Hussam Abdulsalam Abu Issa Vice Chairman and COO
Salam International

Mr. Abu Issa is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Salam International, and Board Member of Salam Bounian. Salam International owns and manages over 32 business units in various lines: Contracting, Construction & Development, Heavy Industries & Energy, Technology, and Luxury & Hospitality. , the company's operations extend to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.

Ylias Akbaraly
Chairman
Groupe SIPROMAD

After completion of his studies Ylias Akbaraly returned to his homeland, Madagascar, where he assumed office in various capacities in Groupe Sipromad, the family business. He subsequently took over the reins from his father, the founding member of Groupe Sipromad and became the managing director and chief executive officer. Under the impetus of Mr. Akbaraly, the Group significantly expanded and consolidated its operations not only in Madagascar but also in the Indian Ocean area. In 2000, Mr. Akbaraly became the chairman of Groupe Sipromad, which is today one of the leading business houses in Madagascar, carrying out activities in the industrial, commerce and distribution, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and TIC sectors. Publication on first page on FORBES AFRICA - March 2016 edition.

Wei Cai, AM/MBA'95 Partner
FountainVest Partners

Wei Cai is a partner at FountainVest Partners. FountainVest is one of the largest private equity funds dedicated to the China market with $2.4 billion dollars currently under management. Prior to joining FountainVest in August 2015, Mr. Cai was a Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Asia Investment Banking with UBS.  He was also the Joint-Head of UBS's China Investment Banking Department.  Prior to his employment with UBS, he was a Managing Director and Head of Asia General Industrials Group with Morgan Stanley.  Mr. Cai has worked in the investment banking industry for over 20 years, both in New York City and in Hong Kong.

Philip B. Clement, AM/MBA'93 Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Aon Corporation

Philip B. Clement is the global chief marketing and communications officer for Aon plc. He has responsibility for Aon’s marketing strategy, which includes branding, market analysis, and demand creation. He also is responsible for driving many of Aon’s programs in the area of sales, sales systems and innovation. Previously, Mr. Clement was a managing partner of The Clement Group, a Chicago-based management consulting firm that he founded.

Marilyn R. Diamond
Honorary Consul General for Morocco in Illinois

Marilyn R. Diamond is the Honorary Consul General for Morocco in Illinois. She is also on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University.

Richard Elden, MBA'66
Founder and former Chairman Grosvenor Capital Management

Richard Elden is the founder and former chairman of Grosvenor Capital Management. Prior to starting Grosvenor, he was a reporter for the International News Service, the City News Bureau of Chicago, and the Chicago Sun-Times. In addition, he was a financial analyst with Science Research Associates and a securities analyst with A.G. Becker & Co., Inc.

David Garcia-Junco, AM'95
Chief Financial Officer
for Science and Technology

David Garcia Junco Machado is the Chief Financial Officer for the National Council for Science and Technology in Mexico. Prior to that, he served as head of the National Commissioner for Social Health protection.

John S. Gates Jr.
Chairman and CEO
PortaeCo, LLC

John S. Gates, Jr. is the chairman and CEO of PortaeCo, a private investment company. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees all forms of public transit in the Chicago metro region.

Tony Ghorayeb
Chairman
Libank S.A.L.

Tony Ghorayeb is Chairman and co-founder of Libank S.A.L (Levant Investment Bank), an investment bank in Lebanon. He is the Chairman of Ace Liberty & Stone PLC, director of Kingdom Bank UK, and director of Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited. Dr. Ghorayeb is alos a founding member and Secretary General of the Levant Business Union.

Ronald J. Gidwitz
Principal
GCG Partners

Ronald J. Gidwitz is a co-founder of GCG Partners, which specializes in wealth management. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive of the Unilever HPC Helene Curtis Business Unit. Mr. Gidwitz also serves as Director on the Board of Continental Materials Corporation, KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation and the Council for Aid to Education. 

Lina Haddad Kreidie
Fellow University of California, Irvine

Lina Haddad Kreidie served as the Jerome and Hazel Tobis Chair at the University of California, Irvine, at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality. She is currently lecturing at the American University of Beirut on Political Science, Public Policy, Middle East Politics and Psychology of Conflict, and she also serves as a public policy consultant.

M. Hill Hammock, MBA'70
Chair Chicago Deferred Exchange Co.

M. Hill Hammock currently serves as Chair of the Board of Cook County Health & Hospital System, the primary safety net health care institution in Chicago. He is the former Vice Chairman of LaSalle Bank Corporation, where he was the Chief Operating Officer. After banking, Hill served as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Chicago Public Schools.

King Harris
Chairman
Harris Holdings, Inc.

King Harris is currently a Senior Fellow and Board Member of the Metropolitan Planning Council. He is also a Trustee of the University of Chicago.

Joan W. Harris
President, Past Chairman
Irving Harris Foundation

Joan is the Chairman of the Irving Harris Foundation. Mrs. Harris served on the President's Commission for the National Endowment for the Arts. She was Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Chicago, served as President of the Illinois Arts Alliance and is a Trustee of the Library of Congress Trust Fund Board. In July 2014, Mrs. Harris received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama.

Fay Hartog-Levin
Distinguished Fellow
Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Fay Hartog-Levin was the 65^th Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Prior to that, she was the Vice President of External Affairs at the Field Museum. Currently, Mrs. Hartog-Levin is a consultant on water and other environmental issues. She also teaches a course at the University of Chicago Law School on the federal-state relationship and social policy. She has served as a senior advisor on international strategies at the Harris School.

O.J. Heestand Jr.
Chairman, Investment Office
O’Connor Partners

O.J. Heestand. Jr, is a private investor based in Chicago. He was formerly a managing director of the Swiss Bank Corporation, now UBS A.G., and a partner of McKinsey and Company. Mr. Heestand spent his first decade in finance at the Chemical Bank, mostly in London.

David Jacobson
Vice Chairman
BMO Financial Group

David Jacobson became Vice-Chair of BMO Financial Group in 2013. Prior to that, he served as Special Assistant to President Obama and U.S. Ambassador to Canada, as Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel, and was a corporate lawyer before his White House appointment.

Khalid Janahi
Group Chief Executive
Dar Al-Maal Al Islami (DMI)

Khalid Janahi is currently the Group Chief Executive of Dar Al-Maal Al Islami and sits on the board of the Trust’s subsidiaries and associates. Prior to that, he was Partner at Price Waterhouse. Mr. Janahi has more than 30 years of experience in advisory services and international banking. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Dennis Keller, MBA'68
Co-Founder and Retired Chairman and CEO
DeVry, Inc.

Dennis J. Keller is Co-Founder and Retired Chairman and CEO of DeVry Education Group, and currently serves as Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor. DeVry Education Group Inc., is a global provider of educational services and the parent organization of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Becker Professional Education, Carrington College, Chamberlain College of Nursing, DeVry Brasil, DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University School of Medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. These institutions offer a wide array of programs in healthcare, business, technology, accounting, finance and law. Dennis Keller serves as Vice Chairman of University of Chicago, Chairman of Mpala Wildlife Foundation and is a Member of the National Board of the Smithsonian Institution. 

Hilarie Koplow-McAdams, AM'87
Venture Partner
NEA

Hilarie joined NEA as a Venture Partner in 2017 on the technology team where she focuses on enterprise software and services. She also serves as an independent board director across several public companies.    

An enterprise software veteran, Hilarie spent the last three decades at growth-stage technology companies in operating and board roles. Most recently, Hilarie was President at New Relic, responsible for New Relic’s growth strategies as well as leading global sales, marketing, customer success, support, and business development. Prior to New Relic, Hilarie was at Salesforce, where she led the company’s worldwide sales teams and focused on growing the business globally. Hilarie joined Salesforce from Intuit where she was vice president of direct sales for small business and a member of the executive committee.

Hilarie started her career at Oracle Corporation where she held a variety of roles over the course of 18 years, including senior vice president of the direct sales channel where she drove the company’s rapid growth in both the technology and applications markets. Now retired from operating roles, Hilarie currently serves on the board of directors of Tableau Corporation, and is Vice Chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and serves on the advisory council of the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.

Hilarie has a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Mills College. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Steve and their two daughters.

Ronald Landes
President
Solving Organ Shortage

Ronald Landes is the President of Solving Organ Shortage, a non-profit that supports research to repair damaged organs and bioengineer solid organs for transplantation. He is also the Chairman of the Board of von Baer Wolff, an aggregator of intellectual property in organ repair and fabrication. Dr. Landes invests in early-stage bioscience technology including projects in Hungary, Poland, Israel and the U.S. He is a principal in the Warsaw-based bioscience investment group, Life Science Innovation Fund.

Daniel Levin, AB'50, JD'53
Founder and Chairman
The Habitat Company

The founder and chairman of The Habitat Company, Daniel Levin has been a real estate developer in Chicago and other areas of the country since 1957. He has been active in development and management activities involving over 25,000 residential units, market rate, affordable, public, senior, and student housing, and has been principally responsible for the financing, structuring, and equity syndication of Habitat's programs. Mr. Levin developed East Bank Club, considered the best fitness and social club in the City since its opening in 1980.

Fabio Malina Losso
Chief Governance, Risk and Compliance Officer and Head of Corporate Sustainability, Companhia Paranaense de Energia S.A. - Copel, Brazil. 

Fabio Losso is the Head of Corporate Sustainability at Copel, Brazil. He is also the Coordinator of the Observatory of Public Policies at The State of Parana, Brazil. Previously, he was the CEO and Liquidator of Banco de Desenvolvimento do Parana S.A. - BADEP (2011-2013); Founding Member and Board Member of “Fundo Especial de Segurança Pública do Estado do Parana - Funesp” (Special Fund for Public Security of the State of Paraná) (2012-2013); General Secretary of “Conselho Estadual de Trânsito do Estado do Paraná” (State Traffic Committee) (2012-2013); Lawyer and Partner at Losso Advogados  (since 1999). Visiting Scholar and Associate Researcher at The University of Chicago (2013).

Tanvir S. Mangat, AM'94
Chief Strategy Officer
Sinai Health System

Tanvir S. Mangat served as the Chief Strategy Office at Sinai Health System in Chicago, where he was responsible for strategy, business development, and marketing. Prior to that, he was a Senior Director within the Corporate Innovation Team at Walgreens, where he focused on developing and investing in innovative healthcare business models. Tanvir Mangat is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in strategy, business development, and innovation within the healthcare sector in addition to other industries.

Scott Marden, AM'81
Managing Partner
CIP Capital

Mr. Marden has been a recognized leader in the information services, media and publishing industries, with leadership experience balanced between senior operating and financial roles. Before forming CIP Capital, Mr. Marden led the investment activities in the information, media and services sectors at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners. Previously, he served as President of the Information and Media segment of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. He has over a decade of leadership experience in private equity and financial services.

Victor Andrea Najjarian
Chairman
C.A.R.E. Group

Mr. Victor Andrea Najjarian is the Chairman of CARE GROUP a leading company in Real Estate consultancy and investment, in Lebanon and the Middle East. CARE Group is managing exclusively a portfolio of over 3 Billion $ of prestigious projects in Lebanon and offers its services worldwide to national and multinational companies worldwide. Mr. Najjarian is an author of several articles in Real Estate investment topics in economic magazines, published in Lebanon and abroad.

Jeffrey C. Neal
Founding Partner
Horizon Capital Advisors

Jeffery C. Neal is a founding partner of Horizon Capital Advisors, LLC, a private equity group investing in Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. Previously, he held a number of key leadership positions at Merrill Lynch including head of Midwestern investment banking practice, head of the global domestic corporate banking group, and the founder and head of the global corporate finance group. Mr. Neal worked as the assistant director at the Bureau of the Budget for the State of Illinois. He served as the budget analyst for the Department of Public Aid and as head of the Office of Capital Finance, which inaugurated the state's first legislatively approved general obligation bond program.

George A. Ranney Jr., JD'66
Senior Council Mayer, Brown, Row & Maw

Mr. Ranney is Senior Counsel at Mayer, Brown, Row & Maw, a global law firm headquartered in Chicago. He is also Chairman and CEO of Prairie Holdings Corporation, which is building Prairie Crossing, a nationally known real estate development designed on conservation principles in suburban Grayslake, Illinois. Previously, he was the President and CEO of Metropolis Strategies, a business-based organization formed by The Commercial Club of Chicago to improve the region’s economic competitiveness.

Diana Rauner, AM'95, PhD'02
President
Ounce of Prevention Fund

Diana Rauner is the President of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, a public-private partnership serving at-risk children and their families. The Ounce advocates for programs and policies that benefit young children and families, provides training to early childhood professionals in Illinois, and engages in rigorous research and evaluation projects that contribute to best practices throughout the early childhood field. Prior to this, she was a senior research associate at Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago.

James Roth
President and CEO
Huron Consulting Group

Jim Roth is the President and CEO of Huron Consulting Group and one of the founding members. He has more than 35 years of experience working with research universities and academic medical centers, focusing on strategic, financial, operational and technology solutions. Jim also has extensive experience working with clients to address the array of challenges within the basic and clinical research enterprise.  Jim has worked with over 60 of the 100 largest research universities and 10 of the largest 25 teaching hospitals. Consulting Magazine named him one of the Top 25 Most Influential Consultants in 2009 and again in 2011.

Neeraj Sahai
International Financial Services Executive
Founder and CEO FinEdge Advisory LLC

Neeraj Sahai is a former President of Standard and Poor’s Ratings. Prior to that, he worked at Citigroup for 29+ years in a variety of senior business roles at the bank’s corporate and investment banking division in NY and India. Mr. Sahai was elected by Global Custodian Magazine to its Custody Hall of Fame, and received several Citibank awards (Global Deal, Service Excellence, and Global Account Management System awards).  He writes and speaks frequently on issues relating to the buy-side and securities services industry.

Harrison I. Steans
Chairman
Financial Investments Corporation

Harrison serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee of Financial Investments Corporation (FIC) and President/CEO of the Steans Family Foundation.  Mr. Steans worked for NBD Illinois, Inc. and its predecessor institutions. From its formation through 1987, Mr. Steans was Chairman of the Board and grew the organization from a single $40 million bank to a six-bank holding company with assets exceeding $1.8 billion.

Paula Wolff, AM'69, PhD'72
Director
Illinois Justice Project

Paula Wolff is Director of the Illinois Justice Project, a nonprofit organization engaged in policy development, public education and advocacy. The organization's policy emphasis is justice system reform, examining issues of juvenile and adult crime, violence, incarceration, and rehabilitation. Ms. Wolff served as President of Governors State University from 1992-2000. Prior to her appointment as GSU President, she was a Visiting Fellow at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where she helped establish a not-for-profit collaborative serving four pilot sites in the Chicago public schools.

Corinne Wood
Former Lt. Governor, State of Illinois

Corinne Wood is the first woman to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor in the state of Illinois. As the state’s second highest ranking official she led efforts to improve healthcare, economic development and our environmental resources. As chair of Women’s Health Illinois and the Honorary Chair of the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women, Lt. Governor. Wood made health care a priority. She worked to triple funding for the  state’s Office of Women’s Health,  expanded health care services for women statewide, created and hosted a Midwest Emmy-nominated cable television show, “Today’s Healthy Woman”,  and raised nearly $2 million in private funds for breast cancer research through her “Check for a Cure” program. Previously she served as an Illinois State Representative and practiced law at Hopkins and Sutter.

Sarosh Zaiwalla
Founder
Zaiwalla and Co Solicitors

Sarosh Zaiwalla founded Zaiwalla and Co. Solicitors in London in 1982. Over the years Mr. Zaiwalla has been involved in over 1200 International Energy, Maritime and Construction Arbitrations worldwide. He has acted for many prestigious clients including the President of India, the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Iranian Government. In May 2004, Mr. Zaiwalla had the honor to be personally asked by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to facilitate a dialogue with the Government of People’s Republic of China (PRC) with a view to finding a peaceful resolution relating to Tibet. In October of 2007, Mr. Zaiwalla was invited by the United Nations Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon for an extensive one-to-one consultation on issues relating to World Order. There have been over 90 judgments reported in English reports where Mr. Zaiwalla has acted for one of the parties.