ARIEL INVESTMENTS PRESIDENT MELLODY HOBSON SELECTED CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC CLUB OF CHICAGO

ARIEL INVESTMENTS PRESIDENT MELLODY HOBSON SELECTED CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC CLUB OF CHICAGO

CHICAGO, IL - At its 89th Annual Dinner Meeting recently, the

Economic Club of Chicago announced that Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments, has been selected chair of its board of directors effective July 1, 2017. Hobson will succeed Ilene S. Gordon, chairman, president and CEO of Ingredion Incorporated, whose two-year term will end on June 30.

“I am delighted that Mellody has agreed to serve as chair of the Economic Club,” said Gordon. “Mellody has been an active member and has served on the board of directors for several years. The Club has 90 years of history filled with dynamic discussion among some of the world’s most critical thinkers. Mellody shares the board’s vision for continuing to build on this history for the Club’s future success.”

“It is an honor to be selected as chair of this esteemed organization. Through my involvement with the ECC, I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the world’s greatest leaders, entrepreneurs and creative minds. I look forward to shaping an agenda that inspires and engages the next generation,” said Mellody.

At Ariel Investments, Mellody is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, overseeing all operations outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as chairman of the board of trustees for Ariel Investment Trust. Beyond her work at Ariel, Mellody has become a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education. She is a regular contributor and analyst on finance, the markets and economic trends for CBS News. She also contributes weekly money tips on the Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Mellody is a director of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. Her community outreach includes serving as chairman of After School Matters, a non-profit that provides Chicago teens with high-quality, out-of-school time programs. She is a board member of The Chicago Public Education Fund, George Lucas Education Foundation, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and Sundance Institute, where she has been appointed emeritus trustee. In 2015, Mellody was named to Time Magazine’s annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world.

She joined The Economic Club of Chicago over 20 years ago and at the time was one of the youngest members to ever join the organization.

“Mellody has been an engaged member and dedicated leader of the Club. I am very pleased that she will be chairing the board of directors as we continue to advance our strategic initiatives,” said Donna F. Zarcone, Economic Club president and CEO. The Economic Club of Chicago (ECC) is an independent, nonprofit

organization that fosters meaningful connections among Chicago

leaders to encourage dialogue on important economic and social issues and to cultivate the next generation of civic leadership.

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