Crain’s Chicago Business – Who’s Who in Chicago Business 2025

Who’s Who in Chicago Business 2025

By Sophie Rodgers and Alice Mei

Who’s Who 2025 — our authoritative guide to power in Chicago — is here. This year’s edition features more than 450 influential leaders who are shaping Chicago’s business, civic, and cultural spaces. From media magnates to chefs, lawyers to educators, grantmakers to financiers and everyone in between, these are Chicago’s movers and shakers. After you explore this year’s class, be sure to check out “Who’s Who 2025 By The Numbers” for a big picture look at this influential group.

 

Debra Cafaro – Chairman and CEO, Ventas (2021 Goldie Gala Shero)

Debra A. Cafaro

Age: 67
Undergraduate education: University of Notre Dame
Graduate education: University of Chicago
Professional and civic affiliations: PNC Financial Services Group; Business Council; Baltimore Orioles; Chicago Red Stars; Pittsburgh Penguins; University of Chicago; Economic Club; Civic Committee of the Commercial Club; American Academy of Arts & Sciences; Harvard Kennedy School Taubman Center for State & Local Government
Shawn Clark – CEO, CRG (Goldie Gala Vice Chair 2024)

Shawn Clark

Age: 39
Undergraduate education: Clemson University
Graduate education: DePaul University
Professional and civic affiliations: Illumination

 

Daniel McCaffery – Chairman and CEO, McCaffery Interests (Goldie Gala Vice Chair 2022 and 2023)

Daniel T. McCaffery

Age: 77
Undergraduate education: University of Alberta
Graduate education: University of Alberta
Professional and civic affiliations: International Council of Shopping Centers; Economic Club; Link Unlimited; Knapp Entrepreneurship Center; Loyola University Chicago; Urban Land Institute

 

Michelle Mills Clement – CEO, Chicago Association of Realtors; President and CEO, Commercial Brokers Association (Goldie Gala Vice Chair 2023; longtime supporter)

Michelle Mills Clement

Age: 45
Undergraduate education: Bradley University
Graduate education: DePaul University
Professional and civic affiliations: Association Forum; American Society of Association Executives; Bradley University; Commercial Real Estate Women; Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority

 

Marguerite Nader– President & CEO, Equity LifeStyle Properties (Goldie Gala Vice Chair 2024)

Marguerite M. Nader

Age: 56 (Crain’s estimate)
Undergraduate education: Marquette University
Professional and civic affiliations: Ventas; National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts

 

Victoria Noonan – Managing principal and Chicago market leader, Cushman & Wakefield (Goldie Gala Vice Chair 2024)

Victoria Noonan

Age: 67
Undergraduate education: DePaul University
Graduate education: Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law
Professional and civic affiliations: Chicago Real Estate Executive Women; Roosevelt University Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate; Illinois Institute of Technology; Urban Land Institute Chicago Women’s Leadership Initiative; Chicago-Kent College of Law; SGA Youth & Family Services

David Schwartz – Chairman and CEO, Waterton (Goldie Gala Vice Chair 2024)

David R. Schwartz

Age: 60
Undergraduate education: University of Illinois
Graduate education: University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Professional and civic affiliations: National Multifamily Housing Council; Urban Land Institute; Pension Real Estate Association; University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine; U.S. Holocaust Museum & Memorial

Original article here.