Local Executives Join Greater Chicago Board of Directors
The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is proud to announce the addition of six new members to its board of directors: Janel Forde, Alyson Margulies, Monica Mueller, Mike Neller, Chandler Root and Tom Walsh.
“The board of directors for the Greater Chicago chapter is comprised of a dedicated team of leaders committed to sharing expertise, guidance, vision and support of the Red Cross mission,” stated Celena Roldán Sarillo, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Illinois. “We look forward to their ongoing stewardship and are deeply grateful for their service and dedication.”
Janel Forde is a Partner and Associate Director with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where she is a core member of the Public Sector, State and Local practice area. She supports clients on various topics including core government operations and large-scale change. Prior, Forde served as Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago and as the Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS), the operational engine enabling the State’s more than 80 agencies, boards, and commissions.
Forde holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where she became a Toigo Fellow, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She is also an alumna of and member of the Corporation for the Winsor School in Boston.
Alyson Margulies serves as the Senior Vice President, Talent management and Diversity and Inclusion (TMDI) at US Foods. As SVP, TMDI, Margulies built a forward‐thinking strategy around talent needs of US Foods. Prior to US Foods, Margulies held talent management roles at PepsiCo and McDonald’s. Margulies is a nationally recognized leader in the field of talent management and diversity and inclusion and was recently named to Crains Chicago Business 2022 list of Most Notable Executives in HR and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion leaders for her work in building a more diverse and inclusive culture at US Foods.
Margulies has her master’s degree and PhD from Purdue University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently completing the Wharton Executive Education’s Chief Human Resources Officer program.
Monica Mueller Vice President of Government Affairs for Motorola Solutions. She is responsible for the company’s government affairs globally and oversees the company’s country management organization. Over her 21-year tenure, she has held various leadership positions within the Government Affairs organization and also managed the company’s global giving and volunteerism efforts as the executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable and philanthropic arm of the company.
Mueller holds a Political Science degree from Illinois State University, is a native of Uruguay and speaks Spanish fluently.
Mike Neller serves as Aon’s Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. In his role, Neller oversees a highly talented team of finance colleagues serving the firm and clients in approximately 120 countries. Together, they are responsible for supporting the firm’s growth while managing risk and producing investor-grade financial information. Before joining Aon in 2011, Neller was at KPMG’s National Office in New York City.
Neller received his Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, majoring in Finance and Accounting, and his Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Chandler Root is the Division Executive responsible for the Mid-West Division for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He oversees over 2000 wealth advisors located in offices spanning 10 Midwestern states and is responsible for the execution, delivery and integration of the Bank of America enterprise. Prior to his current appointment, Root served as the Senior Market Executive of the Charlotte Market and was the Market Integration Executive for Bank of America in Charlotte, NC among other leadership roles at Merrill Lynch.
Root is a graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and is currently in his second year of the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tom Walsh is a Partner with Deloitte Consulting. Walsh joined Deloitte six years ago and is responsible for leading Deloitte’s Midwest Technology, Media and Telecommunications business that helps clients navigate and thrive in the digital world. Prior to joining Deloitte Consulting, Walsh was a Managing Director with Accenture and a Product Engineer with The Ford Motor Company.
Walsh holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a master’s degree in Engineering from Purdue University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago’s volunteer board includes more than 30 civic and corporate leaders from a range of professional backgrounds for the Greater Chicago chapter that serves 7.7 million people in 5 counties. The board is led by Chairperson Peggy Hardek of PwC. A full list of members is located at https://www.redcross.org/local/illinois/about-us/locations/greater-chicago.html
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Christian, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.