The first Republican governor in 12 years, Rauner charged into office vowing to shake up Springfield, but instead has inflicted the state with shaken-government syndrome. Sure, he’s flexed his substantial political muscle. But to whose benefit? He shut down state government to pressure House speaker Mike Madigan (No. 5) and Senate president John Cullerton ([[[No. … Read more
It was only a couple of years ago that the Cubs’ head honcho seemed to be suffering a severe power deficit. The rooftop owners were still giving him fits, the club still stunk, and sports talk mocked him for being too nice to win. But just as those who best know Ricketts predicted, he put … Read more
The Cook County Democrats’ No. 2 chieftain—a “tweedy independent with sensible shoes,” as the Tribune’s John Kass once described her—more powerful than Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel? Right now, absolutely. Long known as a workhorse and policy wonk who appeals to lakefront liberal types, Preckwinkle recently unleashed her Machiavellian side. While much of Rahm’s credibility and … Read more
It stinks to be Rahm right now. Check out the spectacular free fall in his public approval ratings, particularly since the release in November of the Laquan McDonald video. But the downward trend—which bobbed up a bit at presstime—began well before then. Witness his tougher-than-expected reelection last spring, when he donned a fuzzy sweater and … Read more
A perennial on this list, Rahm’s most valuable unpaid adviser and confidant (they’re like brothers), a bigtime asset manager ($55 billion under management), and the vice chairman of World Business Chicago (the city’s chief corporate ambassador), Sacks is a bona fide superpower in the worlds of business and politics. He and his wife, Cari, contributed … Read more
Don’t let the gentle voice fool you: In his first year as shepherd of the nation’s third-largest Catholic flock, Cupich roared. He stood up to American bishops at an important synod in October, supporting a controversial path to Holy Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics. He used his moral authority to publicly criticize Rauner’s antiunion … Read more
She flashed her green thumb at Northerly Island and the Lucas Museum (its Jabba-like fatness now buffered by parkland), wrapped the new Writers Theatre in Glencoe, spruced up Hyde Park, and unveiled plans to make North Lawndale’s police station more YMCA than barracks. Oh yeah, she also cemented plans for Vista Tower: At 1,186 feet, … Read more
College sports is big business, and as overseer of a 14-school juggernaut, Delany is widely considered its most powerful exec. Big Ten revenue—$338 million in fiscal 2014—is sure to grow after this season, when the commish negotiates new multibillion-dollar TV contracts. Money pouring into Northwestern, U. of I., and other schools could rise by two-thirds, … Read more
A mainstay on just about every important board in town (McDonald’s, Lyric), this longtime chief was named by Barron’s one of the world’s 30 best CEOs yet again last year, up there with Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon. (“His corporate engineering has helped investors realize great value,” the paper explained.) White’s next challenge: integrating the … Read more
After 40 years at Chicago’s most storied financial services company, eight of them as its chief, Waddell’s place on this power list is beginning to seem as constant as Earth’s orbit around the sun. The year 2015 was unusually good for the powerful banker: Northern Trust posted a 10 percent return after years in the … Read more
