͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
|
|
|
Thursday, February 12, 2026 |
|
|
|
Attorney Mollie O’Brien has joined Much’s industry-leading Construction group. O’Brien adds to the team’s established strengths in both transactions and litigation, and she offers another layer of insurance capabilities. The firm’s construction and design clients will benefit from her in-house perspective as a former assistant general counsel at one of the largest general contractors in the United States. |
|
|
|
Cawley Commercial Real Estate announces the addition of Annalysa Pescara and Houston Brooke as associates. Pescara joins the firm’s office brokerage team, specializing in the I-90 Corridor, Chicago, and the northern suburbs, bringing experience from residential real estate along with strong client service and marketing expertise. Brooke joins the industrial brokerage team, focusing on the I-90 Corridor and leveraging a strong foundation in finance and real estate. The additions mark a notable expansion of Cawley CRE’s brokerage team, strengthening its industrial platform while continuing to grow its office brokerage presence across Chicago-area submarkets. |
|
|
|
Pepper Construction has promoted Kevin Heatter to Senior Vice President. With 30 years of industry experience, including 25 at Pepper, Kevin is a trusted leader known for managing complex, high profile projects, including The 1060 Project at Wrigley Field. He will next help lead delivery of the new Chicago Fire Stadium and continue to advance major initiatives across the organization supporting Pepper’s commitment to our clients, teammates and communities. |
|
|
|
Pepper Construction has promoted Tom Sanderson to Senior Vice President. With 29 years of experience, he has advanced Pepper’s preconstruction services and strengthened the firm’s position across all of Pepper’s markets. His deep expertise and collaborative approach guides operations and design teams from project initiation through a guaranteed maximum price. |
|
|
|
Pepper Construction Group has promoted Shannan Ghera to Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, recognizing her leadership and contributions to the company’s brand, culture and reputation. For 24 years she has served as a guide for the growth and evolution of Pepper’s corporate communications, giving voice to Pepper’s core values and commitment to improving the lives of our clients, teammates and communities through the built world. |
|
|
|
Joshua Zembik has been named Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer at the American Medical Association. In this role, he leads communications strategy and execution for the organization, guiding the AMA’s brand, executive, policy, and crisis communications and overseeing teams in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the AMA in 2016, Zembik held multiple media and communications leadership roles on Capitol Hill for U.S. senators and representatives. |
|
|
|
Matt Dittman has been promoted to Senior Vice President & Partner at CRG, where he leads the firm’s industrial development and investment strategy across key Southeast markets. With 15 years of experience in commercial real estate finance and development, Matt has played a pivotal role in CRG’s growth since joining the firm in 2020. He helped launch multiple investment funds that collectively raised more than $600 million to invest in nearly $2 billion of logistics assets. |
|
|
|
Artee Travoye Jones has been named Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Communications for McField & Associates, Inc. Based in Plainfield, Illinois, Jones leads enterprise communications, cultivates government and regulatory relationships, enhances community and stakeholder engagement, and shapes the public narrative and social impact strategy across a family of companies. |
|
|
|
Kieran Jennings, Esq., CMI, CRE, Managing Partner of Siegel Jennings, Co., LPA, has been elected President of the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC.) APTC is a network of premier law firms across the United States and Canada that provides portfolio owners with a single source for all their property tax needs. APTC member firms serve clients in every major category of real estate. Kieran’s practice focus includes real property taxation, tax planning, and general state and local tax litigation. |
|
|
|
Krieg DeVault is pleased to announce that Marija Nicksic has been promoted to Senior Associate. Marija is a member of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate and Lending Practice, focusing on business and real estate financing, corporate transactions, and acquisitions and dispositions. |
|
|
|
Kelly Glynn has joined Goldberg Kohn as a Principal. She brings substantial experience advising U.S., non-U.S., and multinational clients on U.S. and cross-border tax issues and representing clients in tax controversies and litigation. Kelly advises public and private companies on tax-efficient structuring, reorganizations, mergers, acquisitions, divestiture and financing transactions as well as all stages of tax dispute resolution and litigation across a variety of forums. |
|
|
|
Barnes & Thornburg has promoted Kyle Prillaman to partner in its Litigation Department in the firm’s Chicago office. Kyle focuses on all phases of litigation matters including drafting pleadings, motions, discovery, and summary judgment briefs. Additionally, he takes depositions, prepares expert witnesses for trial, and performs research on related matters. |
|
|
|
Golan Christie Taglia announces that Toni F. Esparza and Anthony J. Wenn have been promoted to Partner. Toni focuses her practice on trusts and estates administration, complex litigation involving trust, estate, and guardianship disputes, and commercial and civil litigation. She earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Anthony is a patent attorney specialized in prosecuting, licensing, and litigating all types of intellectual property. He earned his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. |
|
|
|
First Bank Chicago, one of the five largest privately held banks in Chicago, is pleased to announce Samuel Jaramillo has been promoted to AVP/Lease Documentation. Sam manages fundings and documentation for the leasing portfolio, which includes legal reviews and Latin American fundings. He works closely with Lessor relationships and internal teams to ensure seamless operations and portfolio integrity. Sam joined the Bank in 2019. |
|
|
|
Baronica Roberson was unanimously elected to CAN TV's Board of Directors. Roberson brings extensive expertise in financial stewardship and equity advancement. She leads finance and administration at Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation and chairs the African American Legacy Fund of the Chicago Community Trust. Monique B. Jones was elevated to Board Vice Chair. Jones served as CAN TV’s Board Development Chair and empaneled four new directors in 2025. A visionary leader with more than 25 years in nonprofit leadership and racial equity, Jones serves as CEO of Forefront Illinois. CAN TV gives every Chicagoan a voice on cable television by providing training, facilities, equipment, and airtime for residents and nonprofits. |
|
|
|
Chris Brown and Dr. Gwendolyn Oglesby-Odom have been unanimously elected to the CAN TV Board of Directors. Brown, Chicago Public Library Commissioner, is a renowned leader. He has implemented Sunday hours at all 81 CPL branches and launched the Book Sanctuary movement to protect banned books. He has made CPL a model of accessibility and equity. Dr. Oglesby-Odom, Enterprise Vice President at Advocate Health, brings three decades of healthcare leadership. She leads a $1B investment improving outcomes on Chicago's South Side and was named a Crain's Chicago Business "Notable Black Leader." CAN TV harnesses the power of media for public good, fosters informed communities, advances social equity, & turns stories into catalysts for change. |
|
|
|
First Bank Chicago, one of the five largest privately held banks in Chicago, is pleased to announce Mary Lum has been promoted to Vice President, Corporate Administration. In this role, Mary oversees administrative and operational functions, partnering with executive leadership to support daily operations, regulatory coordination, and corporate governance. Mary joined the Bank in 2011, and she has been a key contributor to further advancing multifaceted initiatives throughout the Bank. |
|
|
|
Wayne Wozniak has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Cullinan Properties. He will lead financial strategy, capital planning and portfolio performance across the firm’s expanding national development platform. Wozniak brings extensive experience in commercial real estate finance and operational leadership to support Cullinan’s continued growth in mixed-use, retail, multifamily and healthcare projects. |
|
|
|
Rebecca Kanter and Ian Shaffer have been promoted to principal at Much, a full-service law firm headquartered in Chicago. Kanter focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions and equity offerings. She serves private equity firms, privately held companies, and family offices across the infrastructure, insurance, CPG, and hospitality industries. Kanter also guides clients through everyday business needs in her role as corporate counsel. Shaffer works with the full range of real estate players on commercial transactions, advising on acquisitions, dispositions, and debt and equity financings. With significant lender-side experience, Shaffer regularly counsels financial institutions and private lenders on loan structuring and documentation. |
|
|
|
The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), a first-of-its-kind campus built for quantum technology scale-up and advanced microelectronics research, welcomes Lauren Wilson as Chief Operating Officer. Wilson will lead the Park’s physical, financial, and organizational infrastructure as it advances from planning into execution. She previously served as a director at KPMG, advising public-sector and higher education clients on complex infrastructure and economic development projects. |
|
|
|
Jacqueline Ackerman, Ph.D., has been promoted to managing partner of Vantage Leadership Consulting. She succeeds Keith Goudy, Ph.D., who remains a founding partner. Celebrating its 50th year in business, Vantage partners with organizations on CEO and board advisory, executive assessment and coaching, succession planning and family business transitions. Ackerman has spent 25 years with the firm, advising senior leaders across industries and helping clients make high-stakes leadership decisions. |
|
|
|
Aronberg Goldgehn, a premier full-service business law and litigation firm with offices in Chicago and Wheaton, Illinois, is pleased to announce Jessica Chang has joined the firm as a Member. Chang has extensive experience handling complex employment litigation matters, which range from single plaintiffs to large-scale class and collective actions across several industries. She advises employers on risk mitigation strategies and represents corporate management clients in workplace disputes. |
|
|
|
AECOM is excited to announce Kurt Ziegel as Principal, Transit and TOD. With 17 years of experience, Kurt is an accomplished Architect and Urban Designer known for integrating design-driven solutions into complex infrastructure projects. His portfolio spans major transit stations, multimodal hubs, and aviation facilities, where he has enhanced passenger experience and operational efficiency. He will lead efforts to shape next-generation transit and TOD projects across the region. |
|
|
|
Executive Construction announces the addition of John Nguyen and Dan Polito as Vice Presidents, each bringing more than 20 years of experience and strengthening senior leadership across Life Sciences and Tenant Interiors. Nguyen brings a multi-disciplinary perspective shaped by laboratory operations and research environments, having delivered more than 5 million square feet of complex Life Sciences facilities globally. Polito brings extensive experience delivering dynamic corporate interiors, having led more than 1.8 million square feet of projects across the Chicago market, with a focus on exceeding client expectations at scale. These leadership additions support Executive Construction’s continued momentum locally and nationally. |
|
|
|
Pepper Construction announces the promotion of Jeremy Bersie to Vice President of the Self Perform Group in Illinois as he marks 25 years with the company. Jeremy brings proven leadership, deep operational expertise and a strong record of delivering complex projects. His strategic approach, innovative problem-solving and collaborative style will continue to enhance value, quality and certainty for our clients. |
|
|
|
Jessie Erickson has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing for Pepper Construction. Since 2014, her leadership has elevated the effectiveness and impact of our Marketing organization. Jessie is widely regarded for her integrity, cross functional collaboration and innovative approach to producing high quality, timely proposals. Her strategic discipline, commitment to improvement and attention to client priorities strengthen our competitiveness and the value we provide. |
|
|
|
Pepper Construction has promoted Kevin Erickson to Vice President, Operations, bringing proven leadership and broad market expertise to the role. Kevin’s relationship-driven approach has created long-term partnerships, helping clients achieve certainty in schedule, quality, and budget for complex projects across a variety of markets. Kevin’s strategic guidance, mentorship, and community leadership continue to strengthen Pepper’s dedication to client service. |
|
|
|
AECOM is excited to announce Jessica Culver as Associate Principal, MEP Team Lead in our Chicago office. With 13 years of experience as a licensed Mechanical Engineer, Jessica brings expertise in designing complex building systems across aviation, municipal, cultural, industrial, and commercial markets. In her new role, she will lead multidisciplinary teams through all phases of project development, delivering efficient and resilient solutions tailored to each client's needs. |
|
|
|
Sassetti announced the promotion of Eric Franklin to Partner. Franklin has been with the firm since 2018 and serves as a leader within its tax practice and Manufacturing Industry Services Group. His expertise includes corporate and pass-through taxation, state and local tax, ASC 740, and complex individual matters. Prior to Sassetti, Franklin worked at both boutique and national firms and is a U.S. Army Reserve veteran with more than eight years of service. |
|
|
|
AECOM’s Chicago office welcomes Nate Klinge as an Associate Principal and Senior Technical Architect. With over 18 years of experience, Nate has guided multidisciplinary teams across a wide range of project types, maintaining exceptional standards for delivery and design excellence. He bridges strategic vision with technical execution, ensuring projects are well coordinated and meet the highest standards of design integrity and quality. |
|
|
|
IFF is pleased to welcome Brandi Head as Director of Lending for Chicago nonprofits. Brandi brings more than two decades of experience in Banking, Regulatory Supervision, Municipal Finance, and Consulting. Her background includes positions at J.P. Morgan Chase, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Goldman Sachs. Based in Chicago, Brandi partners with nonprofits to advance lending strategies that support the growth and expansion of community-serving facilities. |
|
|
|
Matthew Hayes has joined Venable LLP’s Transactional Tax Group as a partner in the firm’s Chicago office. He advises clients on U.S. and international tax matters related to corporate structures and cross-border transactions. His practice includes providing tax structuring guidance to corporations and partnerships, limited liability companies, and other pass-through entities. He works with multinational clients across a broad range of industries. |
|
|
Discover the latest insights, analysis & opinion needed to navigate Chicago's complex business landscape.
|
|
|
|
