Executive Advisory Board
Edgewater’s Executive Advisory Board is comprised of nationally recognized business leaders who lead some of the world’s most successful public and private companies. The Executive Advisory Board is actively involved with the firm to directly source investment opportunities and add value to Edgewater’s portfolio companies.

Board Members

Andrew J. McKenna, Executive Advisory Board Chairman
Andrew McKenna is the Chairman of McDonald's Corporation, Oak Brook, Illinois. McDonald's is the world's leading food service retailer with nearly 33,000 restaurants in 119 countries serving 64 million customers each day.

Mr. McKenna is also the Chairman of Schwarz Supply Source, Morton Grove, Illinois. Schwarz Supply Source is a global provider of distribution and logistics programs with facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom.

He is a director of Aon Corporation, Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc., McDonald's Corporation and Skyline Corporation. He acted as Chairman of the Chicago White Sox during his group's ownership of that organization from 1975-1981. He also served as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Cubs, upon purchase of that entity by Tribune Company, from August 1981 through December of 1984. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame from 1992 - 2000 and was Vice Chairman for six years prior to that and continues to serve as a trustee. McKenna has served over the years on many civic, community and philanthropic boards. He is a past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Science and Industry and continues to serve as a trustee. He is a past Chairman of the Economic Club of Chicago and also past chairman of The Executives' Club of Chicago. He is a director of Chicago Metropolis 2020, Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago, the Big Shoulders Fund of the Archdiocese of Chicago, The Ireland Economic Advisory Board, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Renaissance School Fund and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago among others. He is a past Chairman of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, and is a past Chairman of The Commercial Club of Chicago and continues to serve as a member of both entities. In addition, he is the Founding Chairman of Chicago Metropolis 2020. His former corporate directorships include: First Chicago NBD (1991-1999), Dean Foods (1982-2000), Tribune Company (1982-2002) and Click Commerce (2000-2006).

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor of science degree in business administration and marketing. McKenna is also a graduate of DePaul University Law School where he received a Doctor of Jurisprudence.

Howard M. Dean
Howard Dean is the retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Dean Foods Company. He started with Dean Foods in 1965 after completing a tour of duty in the United States Navy where he attained the rank of Lt. J.G. Mr. Dean served as an Internal Auditor from 1965 until 1970 when he became President and Chief Operating Officer. In 1987, Mr. Dean was elected to the position of Chief Executive Officer and President and then became Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in 1989.

Mr. Dean also served as a board member of The Grocery Manufacturers Association. He served as Treasurer, Vice President, Vice President and Chairman of the Milk Industry Foundation; and also serves as a Trustee of Rush University Medical Center.

Mr. Dean received his BBA degree from Southern Methodist University and his MBA from Northwestern University.

Craig Duchossois
Craig Duchossois is Chief Executive Officer of The Duchossois Group, a privately held, family business headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois.

The principal operating companies are The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (garage door openers, gate operators and related access control products); Heath/Zenith (motion-activated lighting, door chimes and wireless lighting controls); Milestone AV Technologies (audio-visual mounting equipment & display solutions); Da-Lite Screen Company (producer of high quality commercial and residential projection screens); AMX LLC (advanced control and automation technology for commercial and residential markets); BRIVO (web-hosted electronic access control systems); and Duchossois Technology Partners, LLC (an early-stage venture capital company). While the various companies owned or associated with The Duchossois Group operate independently, a small, corporate team provides strategic support, access to capital and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Mr. Duchossois serves on the Board of Directors of Churchill Downs, Inc. His not-for-profit board memberships include Culver Educational Foundation, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, University of Chicago Hospitals, World Business Chicago, Executives' Club of Chicago, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Economic Club and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Additionally, he is a member of the Chief Executives' Organization, World Presidents' Organization, and the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago. He also serves as an advisory board member for Frontenac Company and The Edgewater Funds. In addition, Craig is vice-chairman for CEO's Against Cancer. He is a past-Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the United States Naval Academy.

Mr. Duchossois holds a BBA and MBA from Southern Methodist University. He served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps between1968-1971.

W. James Farrell
Jim Farrell is the Retired Chairman of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), a multi-national manufacturer of highly engineered fasteners, components, assemblies and systems. ITW is comprised of approximately 900 decentralized operations in 57 countries, with more than 61,000 employees. Under Farrell, ITW bought more than 300 firms and paid more than $5.4 billion building the company into a $29.74 billion concern.

Since joining ITW in 1965, Mr. Farrell was involved in nearly every aspect of the company and has held numerous management positions in his 41-year career. He was named President and CEO in September 1995, and was elected Chairman in 1996. Farrell focused on a strategy of growth through acquisition, preferring small and midsize companies over major businesses.

As an active member of the civic and business communities, Mr. Farrell serves on the Boards of Directors of 3M, Abbott, Allstate Insurance Company and UAL Corporation. Mr. Farrell is also Chairman of The Civic Committee and Vice Chairman of The Commercial Club of Chicago and a member of the Economic Club of Chicago.

Mr. Farrell's educational associations include former Chairman of Junior Achievement of Chicago, a Trustee of Northwestern University and Chairman of the Campaign Campaign of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Cultural and civic affiliations for Mr. Farrell include former Chairman and Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Director of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and Director of The Big Shoulders Fund. He is a Trustee and former Chairman of the Museum of Science and Industry and Trustee of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center.

Mr. Farrell earned a bachelor's degree in electric engineering from the University of Detroit. He served in the U.S. Army from 1965-1967.

Ronald J. Gidwitz
Ronald Gidwitz is a co-founder of GCG Partners, assuming an active role as a partner in September 1998. He shares responsibility for overall management of the partnership.

Prior to becoming active in GCG Partners, Mr. Gidwitz was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unilever HPC Helene Curtis Business Unit from 1996 to 1998. Previously, Mr. Gidwitz served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors of Helene Curtis, a Fortune 500 consumer products company. He had served as President since 1979 and assumed the post of Chief Executive Officer in July 1985. Before being appointed President, Mr. Gidwitz held a number of positions within the company, with responsibilities ranging from sales to manufacturing. After Mr. Gidwitz took the helm of Helene Curtis in 1979, revenues increased sevenfold to more than $1.2 billion before its acquisition by Unilever in 1996.

Mr. Gidwitz also serves as Director on the Boards of Continental Materials Corporation and KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation. He is also active in the Chicago business and arts communities. He was named Crain's Chicago Business Executive of the Year in 1988. He has served as Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education. He is a member of the Board of Trustees/Directors for the Field Museum, Rush University Medical Center, the Museum of Science and Industry, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. He also serves as Governor and Chairman-Elect of the Boys and Girls Clubs of American. Additionally, he has served as Chairman of the following organizations: The Economic Development Commission of the City of Chicago, the Board of Trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Central Area Committee and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Gidwitz is currently Chairman of the following organizations: New Prosperity Foundation and the Economic Freedom Alliance.

In 2006 Mr. Gidwitz was a candidate for Governor of the State of Illinois.

Robert J. Hurst
Robert Hurst retired as Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs in June 2004 and earlier as a member of its Board of Directors. At Goldman, Mr. Hurst spent 30 years in a variety of leadership positions, including head of the Investment Banking Division from 1990 to 1999. Following Goldman's IPO, Mr. Hurst became a Vice Chairman and a member of The Board of Directors, and focused on firm-wide matters in addition to client responsibilities. More recently, Mr. Hurst has been an Investment Partner of Crestview Partners, L.P.

Mr. Hurst serves or has served on the boards of directors of various public and private companies. He has been active in the non-profit sector, and currently serves as President of the Board of the Whitney Museum of American Art, as a member of the Board of Overseers of the Wharton School, as Chairman Emeritus of the Jewish Museum and as a trustee of the Central Park Conservancy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and on the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute.

Mr. Hurst received an MBA from the Wharton School and an undergraduate degree from Clark University. He did additional graduate work as a Public Finance Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael H. Moskow
Michael Moskow is retired President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago which he led from 1994 until August 2007. As part of his responsibilities with the Federal Reserve Bank, he served as a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Moskow's career includes service in the public and private sectors as well as academia. During the course of his career, Dr. Moskow has been confirmed by the Senate for five U.S. government positions. From 1969 to 1977, he held a number of senior positions with the U.S. government, including under secretary of labor at the U.S. Department of Labor, director of the Council on Wage and Price Stability, assistant secretary for policy development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and senior staff economist with the Council of Economic Advisers.

In 1977, Dr. Moskow joined the private sector at Esmark, Inc. and later held senior management positions at Northwest Industries, Dart and Kraft, Inc. and Premark International, Inc. In 1991, President Bush appointed Dr. Moskow Deputy United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador. He was responsible for trade negotiations with Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries as well as industries such as steel, semiconductors and aircraft.

Dr. Moskow is active in numerous professional and civic organizations. He is vice chairman of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and the former chairman of the National Bureau of Economic Research and The Economic Club of Chicago. He also serves as a director of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, the Northwestern Memorial Foundation, World Business Chicago and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a member of the Governing Board of the Illinois Council on Economic Education, a trustee of Lafayette College and a member of the Advisory Board to the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also a member of the Visiting Committee of the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Moskow received an A.B. in economics from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in business and applied economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Richard “Dick” Notebaert
Dick Notebaert is chairman and chief executive officer of Qwest Communications International Inc.

Formerly, Mr. Notebaert was president and chief executive officer of Tellabs, a position he had held since August 2000. Prior to that, Mr. Notebaert retired from his position as chairman of the board of Ameritech Corporation in December 1999. His 30-year career with that organization included appointments as president of Ameritech Mobile Communications (1986), president of Indiana Bell (1989) and president of Ameritech Services (1992). In 1993 he became president and chief operating officer of Ameritech Corporation and in January 1994 was named the company’s president and chief executive officer. He was elected to the position of chairman and chief executive officer on April 20, 1994.

He is a member of the board of directors of Aon Corporation, Cardinal Health, Inc., the Denver Center for Performing Arts, and Qwest Communications International Inc. He serves as a trustee of the University of Notre Dame and as a member of The Business Council. In April 2003, President George W. Bush appointed him as a member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC), which provides industry-based analysis and recommendations on a wide range of policy and technical issues.

Mr. Notebaert received a bachelor’s of arts degree in 1969 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1983, both from the University of Wisconsin. He has received a number of honors and awards, including the 1999 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and four honorary degrees.

J. Christopher Reyes
Christopher Reyes is Chairman of Reyes Holdings, L.L.C.   Reyes Holdings is a leading provider of food and beverage distribution services in North, Central and South America, as well as Ireland.    Food distribution operations are comprised of the largest supplier worldwide of distribution services to the McDonald’s restaurant system and the sixth largest broadline foodservice distributor in the United States. Beer distribution operations represent the largest malt beverage distribution organization in the United States.  Reyes Holdings was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 16th largest privately held company in the United States and by Crain’s Chicago Business as the second largest privately held company in the Chicago area.

Among other affiliations, Mr. Reyes is chairman of Children’s Memorial Medical Center and a director of Northwestern Memorial Healthcare, Museum of Science and Industry, Art Institute of Chicago, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ronald McDonald House Charities, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and Big Shoulders Fund.  Additionally, Mr. Reyes is on the boards of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau.  He is a member of the Mayo Clinic Chicago Leadership Council, the RoundTable Healthcare Advisory Board and the Medical Affairs Committee of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.  Mr. Reyes is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame.    

Mr. Reyes earned a B.S. from the University of Maryland.

Louis B. Susman
Louis Susman is Vice Chairman of Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking. He is a member of the Citigroup International Advisory Board.

Prior to joining Salomon Brothers, Inc. in June 1989, Mr. Susman practiced law in the City of St. Louis for 27 years and was a senior partner at the St. Louis based law firm of Thompson & Mitchell. His practice focused on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate law and was involved in major merger transactions, including assisting Trans World Airlines in the sale of their company and Anheuser Busch in the purchase of Civic Center Redevelopment Corp. As a Managing Director of Salomon Brothers, and its successor companies for the last 17 years, representative transactions include Dayton Hudson in the purchase of Marshall Field’s, General Dynamics in the sale of Cessna Corporation and LG Electronics in the purchase of Zenith Electronics Corporation.

Mr. Susman is a Director of Drury Industries, Inc. and Drury Development Corporation, Trustee of Underwriters Laboratories and has previously served on the Boards of the St. Louis National Baseball Club, Inc., Silver Eagle, Inc., Hasco International, PennCorp Financial, Avery, Inc. and other publicly held corporations.

In addition, he presently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of The Art Institute of Chicago Mr. Susman is also a member of the National Historical Trust, Vice Chairman of The Chicago Economic Club, the Northwestern University Associates, Governing Member of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago. Mr. Susman received the “Alumni of the Year” award in 1994 from Washington University School of Law.

Mr. Susman received his A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1959 and his LL.B. from Washington University in 1962 where he was elected to Phi Delta Phi.

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