Meet United States’s 101 Top Founders in the Professional Services Space

Cheryl Francis

Co-Founder of Corporate Leadership Center

Cheryl Francis is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors at Corporate Leadership Center (CLC), a partnership between major corporations and academic institutions that advances top corporate leaders and leadership practices. CEO Perspectives, CLC’s flagship program for C-suite executives, is in its tenth year and is offered in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management and the Chicago Booth School of Business. Thirteen percent of program alumni are now corporate CEOs and 20 percent sit on corporate boards. More than 60 CEOs and board chairs have participated as executive speakers. CLC’s second program, Leading Women Executives, offers a unique development experience for high-potential women and their companies aimed at improving the cost/benefit trade-off for corporate executive women and their organizations. CLC owns this program 100 percent, recruiting academic talent from world-class universities based on their research and consulting agendas. Cheryl Francis is also a Member of the Board of Directors at Aon plc (since October 2010), Morningstar and HNI Corporation (since 1999). Cheryl is a Member of the Compensation and Finance Committees for Aon; Audit Committee Chair and a Member of the Compensation Committee for Morningstar; and a Member of the Audit Committee for HNI. Cheryl is a Cornell University Emeritus Trustee and Presidential Councillor and a Member of the Board of Directors at United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Cheryl formerly served on the boards of Hewitt Associates, Lands’ End and Cornell University; and was Chair of The Chicago Network, Chicago’s leading professional women’s organization. Cheryl’S board experience includes chairing the audit committees of four public companies and Cornell University; serving as Lead Director of Hewitt Associates through a successful CEO search and, later, sale of the company; serving on all major board committees; starting up the audit committee for two newly public companies (Hewitt Associates and Morningstar); playing a leadership role in CEO succession (HNI and Hewitt Associates); and board service outside of the U.S. (London-based Aon plc). Cheryl was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co. from 1995 to 2000. Cheryl oversaw all financial functions, including mergers and acquisitions, of this $5 billion print services company. Under her leadership, return on investment improved to greater than 14% from 10%, return on equity exceeded 23%, cash generation increased more than $200 million per year, and organic revenue grew faster than industry indices. Earlier in her career, Cheryl was Treasurer of FMC Corporation, its first woman officer and an Adjunct Professor at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Cheryl is a frequent Lecturer and Panelist in university and business settings on subjects ranging from corporate governance, strategy and leadership and the advancement of women. Francis has chaired the judging committee for Financial Executive International’s Chicago CFO of the Year award since its inception in 2011. Cheryl was honored for Community Leadership by the YWCA in 2004. Cheryl is a Member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and The Chicago Network. Cheryl holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

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About Corporate Leadership Center: Corporate Leadership Center is a collaborative business-academic forum.

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