Wendy Lewis Will Serve as Interim CEO of Chicago Sinfonietta
Outgoing CEO and President Blake-Anthony Johnson's departure was announced earlier in October.
Chicago Sinfonietta has announced that consultant Wendy Lewis has been engaged to serve as Interim CEO while the Board of Directors conducts a national search for a new CEO to replace outgoing CEO and President Blake-Anthony Johnson, whose departure was announced earlier in October. Ms. Lewis will begin her term with Chicago Sinfonietta on January 1, 2025.
Lewis is Founder and CEO of Wendy Lewis, LLC, a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practice firm; the creator of AllySHIFT™, a progressive and seismic platform for advocacy and sustainable equity; and the Executive Producer of the award-winning documentary, “Beyond Their Years, The Incredible Legacies of Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil.”
Lewis formerly served as Global Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Community Engagement for McDonald’s. Prior to McDonald’s, Lewis served a trailblazing 30-year career with Major League Baseball, in which she became first-in-sports to lead HR and DEI roles and centralize both disciplines at the Club level with the Chicago Cubs and later as a league-wide practice.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and a Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
In announcing Lewis’s interim role with Chicago Sinfonietta, Board Chair James Weidner and Vice Chair Genhi Givings Bailey stated, “We are excited to have Wendy serve the organization as Interim CEO. Her vast experience in management and the areas of diversity and inclusion, and her expert leadership skills will ensure a smooth transition for the new CEO once identified."
“I’m honored to serve as the Interim CEO for Chicago Sinfonietta,” said Ms. Lewis. “I wholeheartedly believe in and support Chicago Sinfonietta’s mission of diversity and inclusion, and the role the orchestra plays in the Chicagoland community. As a Board Member intimately familiar with the Sinfonietta’s season, I look forward to stewarding the organization during this time of transition.”
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