Seven Named to Northwestern Board of Trustees

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Seven new members have been elected to the Northwestern University Board of Trustees.  

They are:

• Christine E. Brennan, award-winning sports columnist for USA Today, commentator for ABC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour and National Public Radio, best-selling author and nationally known speaker
• Steven A. Cahillane, president, Coca-Cola Americas
• Dean M. Harrison (Ex Officio Trustee), president and chief executive officer, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
• Harreld N. “Kip” Kirkpatrick, founding partner and co-chief executive officer, Vistria, LLC
• Phebe N. Novakovic, chairman and chief executive officer, General Dynamics
• Muneer A. Satter, Satter Investment Management
• Stephen R. Wilson, chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

Brennan, Cahillane, Kirkpatrick, Satter and Wilson earned degrees from Northwestern. 

Christine E. Brennan is an award-winning sports columnist for USA Today, a commentator for ABC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour and National Public Radio, a best-selling author and a nationally known speaker. Twice named one of the country’s top 10 sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors, she has covered the last 15 Olympic Games, summer and winter. Brennan is the author of seven books. Her 2006 sports memoir, “Best Seat in the House,” is the only father-daughter memoir written by a sports journalist. Her 1996 national best-seller, “Inside Edge,” was named one of the top 100 sports books of all time by Sports Illustrated. Brennan earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University in 1980 and 1981, respectively. She is a member of the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism Hall of Achievement. She has received honorary degrees from Tiffin (Ohio) University and the University of Toledo. 

Steven A. Cahillane is president of Coca-Cola Americas, which consists of the company’s North America and Latin America operations. Before assuming his current role, Cahillane served as president and CEO of Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR), an operating unit that represents nearly 90 percent of the North American business of The Coca-Cola Company. Prior to leading CCR, Cahillane was president of Coca-Cola Enterprise’s (CCE) North American business following his time as president of CCE’s Europe Group. Cahillane received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Northwestern University and an MBA from Harvard University. He currently serves on the board of directors of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the American Beverage Association (ABA), Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). Cahillane also is the vice chair of the Brazil-U.S. Business Council.

Dean M. Harrison is president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, the parent corporation of Northwestern Memorial Hospital including its Prentice Women’s Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Foundation. Before joining Northwestern Memorial in July 1998, he was president and chief operating officer of the University of Chicago Health System. Harrison received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and an MBA from St. Francis College. As a part of the recent agreement joining the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation (NMFF) with Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, the president and CEO of NMH becomes an Ex Officio Trustee.

Harreld N. “Kip” Kirkpatrick is a founding partner and co-chief executive officer of Vistria, LLC, a private investment firm focused on building market-leading companies in the health care, education and financial services industries. Prior to Vistria, Kirkpatrick founded two leading private equity firms. In 2001, he was part of the team that created One Equity Partners, the $10 billion private investment arm of JP Morgan Chase. In 2004, Kirkpatrick co-founded Water Street Healthcare Partners, which at the time of his involvement was one of the most active investors in middle-market health care companies. From 2011 to 2013, Kirkpatrick served as chief executive officer of United Shore Financial Services LLC, which is headquartered in Troy, Mich. He currently serves as a co-chair for the Chicago Council of the Northwestern University Leadership Circle. Kirkpatrick received a bachelor’s degree in history from Northwestern University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Phebe N. Novakovic became chairman and chief executive officer of General Dynamics on Jan. 1, 2013. She was previously named the company’s president and chief operating officer and a member of the company’s board of directors in May 2012. Prior to her appointment as president and chief operating officer, Novakovic was executive vice president for the Marine Systems group, responsible for the performance of three General Dynamics companies: Bath Iron Works, Electric Boat and NASSCO. Previously, Novakovic had been senior vice president – planning and development since July 2005, where she was responsible for government relations, communications, international, investor relations and strategic planning. She also has served as vice president – strategic planning, a position to which she was appointed in October 2002. Novakovic received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1988; she completed her undergraduate studies at Smith College in 1979. Her daughter completed her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in 2010.

Muneer A. Satter manages Satter Investment Management (SIM), a private investment firm and family office. He also manages the Satter Foundation, a private family foundation. SIM has significant investments in several life sciences and medical technology companies. Satter is a retired partner at Goldman Sachs, where he was a partner of the firm for 16 years. He spent his career in the Merchant Banking Division, which manages the firm’s private investments. Satter joined Goldman Sachs in 1988 and moved to London in 1992 to start and co-head the firm’s Merchant Banking Group in Europe. He later returned to New York and was the global head of the Mezzanine Group, where he raised and managed more than $30 billion of assets. He also was a senior member of the investment committee and chairman of the risk committee for the Merchant Banking Division, which at the time had more than $80 billion of assets under management. Satter received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a J.D./MBA from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School.

Stephen R. Wilson has served as chief executive officer of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its predecessor company since July 2003. He has been a member of CF Industries Holdings’ board since April 2005 and chairman of the board since July 2005. He just announced his retirement. Wilson earned B.A. and MBA degrees from Northwestern University. He joined CF Industries in 1991 as senior vice president and chief financial officer, following a lengthy career with Inland Steel Industries, Inc., where he held a variety of financial and planning positions from 1974 until 1991. He served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972. 

Three Northwestern Trustees have been named Life Trustees in recognition of their service to the board and commitment to the University. They are Nicholas D. Chabraja, Dennis H. Chookaszian and Lee M. Mitchell.