Join us for this year’s ACI Breakfast Forum! Discover ways to revitalize and create full-circle partnerships that unlock growth and drive potential to support students, colleges, and employers across Illinois.
Thursday, April 9, 2026 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Saul Ewing 161 N. Clark St. Chicago, Illinois 60601
Chief Growth Officer & President for CLAYCO Chicagoland
A seasoned business executive, marketing and strategic thought leader with more than 30 years of experience, Michael joined Clayco, one of America’s largest fully integrated design and engineering centric builder and real estate development firm across the commercial, industrial and residential sector as its first ever Chief Growth Officer and President of Chicagoland in early 2024. Prior to this role, Michael led as President and CEO World Business Chicago, the City’s economic development organization, with more than 100 C-Suite executives from all over Chicagoland on its business centric board between 2020 and early 2024. The organization’s core focus is on growing its industry sectors by supporting the expansion of existing Chicagoland based companies and by attracting new corporate relocations to the region, all with a focus on equitable economic prosperity across all 77 neighborhoods and the region. Additionally, Michael worked alongside the Mayor’s Office as the Chief Marketing Officer to ensure that all marketing, branding, and business development activities for the city were aligned with Mayor Lightfoot’s and then Mayor Johnson’s economic growth plan focused on inclusive growth across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.
Michael Fassnacht is a prominent figure in Chicago’s civic community, known for leading crucial pro bono initiatives. His contributions include rebranding the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, developing the city’s bid for Amazon HQ2, supporting the City’s Census 2020 efforts, and spearheading “Boards of Change,” an award-winning voter registration campaign. He recently co-chaired Mayor Johnson’s transition subcommittee on Economic Vitality & Equity. Michael’s extensive board service includes the Chicago Public Library Foundation, The Civic Consulting Alliance, CURRENT, The Poetry Foundation, Intersect Illinois, the Executives’ Club of Chicago, and World Business Chicago. He also advises P33 and The Chicago Prize by the Pritzker/Traubert Foundation. He is a 2022 Daniel Burnham Fellow.
Prior to his most recent role, Michael served for more than 10 years as CEO & President at one of the city’s oldest and most successful advertising agencies, Foote Cone & Belding (FCB). He led his agency to unprecedented international creative recognition and strong above-industry topline growth over his tenure. Over his long career, he has been recognized as a global expert in building and marketing brands. He started his corporate success trajectory at Lufthansa Airlines in Frankfurt, where he led the airline’s frequent flyer program, Miles & More, before departing to Silicon Valley where he was a successful start-up entrepreneur.
Michael was born in Germany and made his way stateside in college where he met his wife, Dr. Rhonda Duffaut. They currently reside in Chicago and have two children, Maya and Ryan.
Jonathan Chaparro
Chief Regional Success & Innovation Officer, Head of Chicago, Braven
Jonathan Chaparro is dedicated to advancing economic mobility through education, workforce innovation, and philanthropy. He’s currently the Chief Regional Success and Innovation Officer at Braven.
With a career spanning Teach For America, Noble Schools, ArcelorMittal, McKinsey & Company, and Braven, Jonathan is recognized for building and scaling high-performing teams, forging cross-sector partnerships, and navigating complexity and change with ease. He joined Braven during its initial start-up phase and has since helped grow it from a $2.8M nonprofit with 18 team members in 2017 to a $38M+ organization with over 200 team members across eight markets. To date, Braven has impacted the lives of over 14,000 college students by helping them gain essential career skills and expand their career pathways.
He is a 2025 Zhi-Xing Eisenhower Fellow, a 2024 Notable Latino Leader recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business, a 2023 Kellogg-Youn Impact Leader, a 2020 Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leader, and a 2017 Surge Institute Fellow. Jonathan earned an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, a master’s degree in teaching from Dominican University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. He serves on the board of directors for Rivet School, another EdTech nonprofit, and the Chicago Artists Coalition. He’s also on the steering committee for the Chicago Community Trust’s Nuestro Futuro affinity fund, the largest affinity fund in the nation dedicated to Latino philanthropy. Previously, he served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Advisory Council on Community and Economic Development.
Shannon D. Fuller
Vice President of Talent Solutions, Health Care Service Corporation
A leader and innovator in linking business decisions with people strategies, Shannon Fuller has built a career exemplified by excellence in partnering with all business areas to bring about effective change. He considers himself a fully immersed business partner but also someone who understands HR exceptionally well. Shannon’s HR career commenced after a chance meeting and unexpected opportunity.
After being offered the chance to shadow a mentor in HR, he was hooked. This led to a highly successful 15-year tenure at Pepsico’s Yum Brands division, where he was promoted multiple times to drive major HR initiatives and business strategies. And he hasn’t looked back! In fact, in every leadership position he’s held over the past 20+ years, Shannon has championed HR innovation. At Pepsico, he was one of the leaders who launched a new business training model that still prospers today. At BestBuy, Shannon spearheaded the revitalization of Sup University – a learning and development program for frontline leaders – which eventually brought him to Chicago to oversee a $600M division where his staffing strategy resulted in a 30% spike in sales. Additional HR leadership successes include re-shaping an HR business partner model for Walgreens, which redefined how HR walked alongside the business. Similarly, for BlueCross Blue Shield of Illinois, Shannon reshaped the enterprise’s HR business partner model as a senior HR leader while fostering relationships with colleges across Illinois to establish a new internship program.
Known for his energy, enthusiasm, and forward-thinking strategies, Shannon’s HR career has advanced him into roles at large, global brands across various industries. He has worked for major Fortune 50 and Fortune 250 companies and directed large-scale HR initiatives spanning succession planning, leadership training, organizational design, and workforce planning for companies with 200k+ employees.
Over the years, Shannon’s passion for HR, business strategy, and employees has never wavered. He thrives at orchestrating successes ‘behind the scenes,’ deftly supporting and enabling critical business decisions. In addition, Shannon is an executive coach with Lee Hecht Harrison executive coaching firm and sits on several boards including Girls Scouts for Chicagoland and NW Indiana and Utmost U. Shannon holds both an undergrad and graduate degree in Business Administration.
Beyond his talent for sitting with all aspects of business and innovating HR offerings, Shannon is immensely proud of his people-centric efforts. He strives to transform cultures through corporate-wide people strategies and employee engagement. Ultimately, Shannon feels that employees make business possible, so integrating people strategies into business strategies is critical to helping companies grow and develop. In his recent work as an HR executive for Centene, the largest Medicaid insurer in the US, Shannon has overseen the Midwest’s complete HR strategy while guiding business leaders through the pandemic. Now back at HCSC (Blue Cross Blue Shield) Shannon is navigating the organization through ambiguity, challenge, and change, he also leads the company’s enterprise talent and workforce strategy end to end.
Shannon’s affinity for identifying barriers, stretching ideas into new concepts, and fostering partnerships in business has grown him a reputation for being strategic and forward-thinking. His goal as an executive leader is to equip both organizations and people with tactics that bring about effective change.
Marie Trzupek Lynch
Chief People Officer, Morningstar
Marie Trzupek Lynch is the chief people officer at Morningstar. Lynch leads Morningstar’s global people and culture team responsible for scaling its talent strategy and operations, building an inclusive culture, overseeing the DEI strategy, and driving a world class employee experience for all Morningstar employees.
Lynch brings a passion for developing innovative talent strategies for Fortune 500 companies and a flair for entrepreneurship. She is recognized as a results-driven executive that has grown organizations from inception with a track record of building high performing teams. She previously served as the founding president and CEO for Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, a nationally recognized nonprofit that partners with companies to create equal access to jobs and economic mobility. She worked with its Board of Directors to expand the organization into multiple cities in the United States. Prior to Skills, she spent eight years working for the YMCA of Chicago and the National YMCA of the USA in executive roles in human services and operations. Lynch has also worked at Deloitte in the consulting practice and in the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office.
Lynch attended the University of Illinois-Champaign, where she was awarded the 2018 LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award, and holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago.
Toby Eveland
Chicago Managing Partner, Saul Ewing LLP
With successes in state, federal, and appellate courts across the country, Toby Eveland is a skilled litigator that clients often retain when their reputation is on the line and when they are involved in high-profile cases that could affect their viability.
Toby’s nationwide litigation practice focuses on three main areas: higher education, municipal and government, and complex business disputes. He works across numerous industries and handles matters involving a range of issues such as class action defense, tort defense, employment, real estate finance, and shareholder disputes. Given his results-oriented approach and national recognition, Toby is often retained when the stakes are the highest. In 2024 he successfully defended clients in claims that sought in excess of $275 million.
In addition to his work in the courtroom, clients retain Toby because of his servant leadership, customized team-building approach, and commitment to excellence and client service. He also is a passionate civil rights advocate and regular speaker and panelists at conferences.
Discounted hotel accommodations are available for the night of April 9th at the Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop, located at 32 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601. Please reserve your room by calling Mariela Alcantar at 312-763-3816 and mention “ACI Breakfast Forum” to unlock room rates starting at $155 plus taxes. Prices are subject to change depending on availability.
Self-parking is available at the Government Center Parking Garage located at181 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60601. Reserve your spot for $25 online using this link.Please note that the garage entrance is between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Prices are also subject to change depending on availability.
2025 ACI Breakfast Forum
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