John Willis's Email & Phone

John is jointly responsible with Avy Stein for managing the affairs of Willis Stein and the firm's private equity funds and is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, structuring acquisitions, coordinating due diligence, negotiating debt financings, working with portfolio company management teams on an ongoing basis and arranging for the disposition of investments. From 1989 through 1994, he was President and a director of Continental Illinois Venture Corporation, a subsidiary of Continental Bank Corporation. Mr. Willis joined Continental Bank in 1974, holding managerial and banking responsibilities in Corporate Finance and Corporate Banking. In 1988, he founded the successful Mezzanine Investment Group and was its leader through 1990. He became President of CIVC in 1989. He serves on the boards of directors of Aavid Thermal Products, CompuPay, Education Corporation of America, Merit Health Systems, Roll Coater, Roundy's Supermarkets and Strategic Materials. John is a Trustee of Rush University Medical Center, Chairman of Rush's Alternative Investment Subcommittee, and Co-Chairman of Rush's Heart Institute; a member of the Dean's Advisory Council of The Krannert School of Management, Purdue University, and a member of the Alternative Investments Advisory Council of the Purdue Research Foundation. He is member of the Visiting Committee of The Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, a Director of the Legacy Charter School in urban Chicago, and until recently was Vice Chairman of the Illinois Venture Capital Association. In addition, he has been a speaker at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Cornell University, The University of Chicago and Purdue University. He received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Business Management from Purdue University.