28. Robert Zimmer 30. Garry McCarthy 29 Steve Koch Age: 57 Occupation: Deputy mayor, City of Chicago Next Back This Wall Street whiz, who once oversaw blockbuster deals for Credit Suisse, was hired last August as Rahm’s top business adviser. Now his fingers are everywhere: from dealing with the pension crisis to negotiating with the … Read more
If you missed calls from these six powerful Chicagoans, whose number would you dial first?
43. Martha Lavey 45. Tom Ricketts 44 James Crown Age: 59 Occupation: President, Henry Crown and Co. Next Back The son of billionaire Lester Crown (No. 12) is a serious guy who knows how to handle serious money. He doesn’t just run his family’s private investment firm; he’s the lead director of defense industry behemoth … Read more
52. Richard M. Daley 54. Morton Schapiro 53 John Daley Age: 66 Occupation: Commissioner, Cook County Board Next Back If politics still happened in smoke-filled rooms, the other, other Daley would play lead cigar. He is the consummate backchannel guy, with 20 years on the board and dominance over county finances. Photograph: SCOTT STRAZZANTE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE
96. John Rowe 98. Terry Duffy 97 Tony Hu Age: 45 Occupation: Restaurateur Next Back A native of Sichuan, Hu owns 11 restaurants here, with two more on the way. But it’s his involvement in community affairs (president of the Chinese American Association of Greater Chicago, director of the Illinois Restaurant Association) that lands him … Read more
9. Irene Rosenfeld 11. Rocky Wirtz 10 David Axelrod Age: 58 Occupation: Director, University of Chicago Institute of Politics Next Back Obama’s last campaign is over, but that hardly diminishes Axelrod’s influence. He aims to transform U. of C.—his new home base—into a nationally recognized political think tank ˆ la Harvard’s Kennedy School and inspire … Read more
71. Jim Franczek Jr. 73. Patrick O’Connor 72 Bill Daley Age: 64 Occupation: Potential gubernatorial candidate Next Back At presstime, he was “seriously considering” running for governor. Been there, heard that. Still, the former commerce secretary, Gore campaign manager, White House chief of staff, lawyer, and banker has connections in spades. Photograph: WILLIAM B. PLOWMAN/NBC … Read more
90. Michelle Boone 92. Richard Posner 91 Dan McCaffery Age: 65 Occupation: Chairman and CEO, McCaffery Interests Next Back Because he controls the fate of a crucial piece of ground—the site of Children’s Memorial Hospital—plus 589 waterfront acres once occupied by U.S. Steel, McCaffery’s development decisions will have an outsize impact on the look of … Read more
74. Roger Ebert 76. Andrew McKenna Sr. 75 Ted Phillips Age: 55 Occupation: CEO, Chicago Bears Next Back Phillips is entrusted to run the beloved football franchise, but does he wield the power to bring the Bears back from epic collapse? His New Year’s Eve ditching of coach Lovie Smith for polar opposite Marc Trestman … Read more
91. Dan McCaffery 93. Jesse Ruiz 92 Richard Posner Age: 74 Occupation: Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit Next Back Posner not only decides the most important issues of the day (he overturned Illinois’s ban on concealed weapons in December) but also influences intellectuals nationwide (in The New Republic, he skewered Justice Antonin Scalia’s … Read more
