Kilts Steering Committee Members
James M. Kilts, '74, Founder
Founding Partner, Centerview Capital
Jim Kilts is a founding partner of the private equity firm Centerview Capital and currently chairman of the board of Advantage Solutions, chairman of The Simply Good Foods Company, and a member of the board of directors of Unifi, Inc., and Viatris Inc. He served as chairman of the board, CEO, and President of Gillette before it merged with the Procter & Gamble Company. Prior to Gillette, Mr. Kilts served as President and CEO of Nabisco until its acquisition by the Philip Morris Companies. His book, Doing What Matters, reflects on his business experiences.
James M. Kilts, '74, Founder
Murli Buluswar, '01
Head of Analytics, US Consumer Bank, Citi
As Head of U.S. Consumer Analytics, Buluswar leads the execution of the vision to ‘be a critical partner in achieving a quantum leap in customer intelligence’ across Citibank’s 30MM+ customer base. An ‘intrapreneurial’ analytical and strategic C-Suite Financial Services Leader, Buluswar has successfully built alignment and achieved commercial outcomes by challenging conventional processes while harnessing data-driven intelligence. His 25-year career includes innovative advanced analytics roles at the intersection of data and strategy.
Murli Buluswar, '01
M. Carl Johnson III, ’72
Retired Chairman and CEO, Nautilus, Inc.
Johnson is retired chairman of the board and former CEO of Nautilus, Inc., the fitness equipment pioneer. He has been a senior business and C-suite executive known for growing high-performing organizations in the competitive consumer products industry. He has delivered profitable growth for multibillion-dollar market leaders, including Del Monte Foods/Big Heart Pet Brands, Campbell Soup, Kraft Foods, Polaroid, and Colgate-Palmolive.
M. Carl Johnson III, ’72
Siddharth N. (Bobby) Mehta, '81
Retired President and CEO, TransUnion
Mr. Siddharth Mehta was the former President and Chief Executive Officer and former Board Member of TransUnion. He has also held leadership positions at HSBC North America and the Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Mehta is a Member of the Board of Directors of Allstate Corporation, Northern Trust, JLL (non-exec Chair), Amount, and Entrust. He also serves on several not-for-profit Boards, including The Field Museum and The Chicago Public Education Fund. He helped facilitate the groundbreaking relationship between the Kilts Center and TransUnion, enabling faculty and PhD students to study consumer credit behavior.
Siddharth N. (Bobby) Mehta, '81
Ann Mukherjee, AB '87, MBA '94
Former Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer, Pernod Ricard North America
Ann Mukherjee joined Pernod Ricard North America (PRNA) as chairwoman and CEO in December 2019, the first industry outsider and woman of color to assume the position. She artfully advanced the business through ambiguity, driving a transformation rooted in the science of predictable consumer demand and guiding PRNA to record-breaking profits in 2021. At the same time, she launched award-winning brand campaigns and initiatives that spark consumer engagement on topics such as consent, voting, hate speech, and diversity and inclusion.
Ann Mukherjee, AB '87, MBA '94
David Neenan, '95
Industry Advisor, Venture Capital & Private Equity
Neenan has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry working across multiple geographies. At TransUnion, he was responsible for the management, growth, and business strategy of the company’s international operations, which span five continents. Previously, he held a number of leadership roles at HSBC, including global head of sales and marketing for insurance.
David Neenan, '95
Satyajeet Salgar, '07
Director of Product Management and UX, Google A.I.
Satyajeet leads a cross-disciplinary applied A.I. team including product, user experience, and user research at Google. The group pushes to develop cutting edge ML capabilities in research through building transformative products across the company including Search, YouTube, and Cloud.
In earlier roles, Satyajeet has led product teams and held product roles at YouTube, Google Search and Google Assistant, Google Play Games, Google Commerce and Payments, and Google TV Ads. He enjoys leading teams that build awesome products and being a part of great businesses at the intersection of technology and media.
Kurt T. Schmidt, '90 (XP-59)
Retired CEO, Cronos Group
Schmidt retired as the CEO of Cronos Group. He previously served as a director and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. from 2012 through 2016. Prior to joining Blue Buffalo, Schmidt was Deputy Executive Vice President at Nestlé S.A., where he was responsible for the Nestlé Nutrition division and served as a member of the company’s Executive Committee.
Kurt T. Schmidt, '90 (XP-59)
Andrew Sugerman, '97
CEO, Centr
Sugerman is a senior executive with a track record of success building both new and evolving existing global businesses across media/entertainment, technology and learning. In 2019, he co-founded entertainment studio Invisible Narratives, and in 2020, became President at SketchyMedical. Sugerman’s breadth of management experience includes strategy, operations, content/product development and sales/marketing from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies.
Andrew Sugerman, '97
Vijay Talwar, '99
Chief Digital and Customer Officer, Dufry Group
Vijay joined Dufry Group as Chief Digital and Customer Officer in February 2023. Prior to joining Dufry, he held positions with Wish as CEO in 2022, and Foot Locker in 2016 as President of Digital assuming the position of CEO of Foot Locker EMEA in 2019. Vijay focuses on driving productivity and capitalizing on growth opportunities, while furthering an elevated multi-channel experience. He previously served as Nike’s Chief Operating Officer for the Central Europe, Middle East and Africa; Chief Executive Officer of the William J. Clinton Foundation India; and CEO, CFO and President of International at Blue Nile.
Vijay Talwar, '99
G. Scott Uzzell, '98
VP & General Manager, Nike Inc North America Operating Unit
G. Scott Uzzell oversees a $23B business with 25,000 employees, managing all aspects of Nike and Jordan Brand footwear and apparel. Formerly President & CEO of Converse, Inc. for 4+ years, he led all aspects of the business globally and oversaw the brand's return to basketball. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, focusing on high-growth brands like Honest Tea, ZICO Coconut Water, and Body Armor. With a background in sales and marketing at Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, and Nabisco, Scott brings extensive expertise to his various board positions, including SC Johnson Company and roles at Florida A&M University Foundation, Executive Leadership Council, Woodruff Arts Center, and University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
G. Scott Uzzell, '98
Christina Van Houten, '96
Founder and CEO, Equity Quotient, Inc
Van Houten is a veteran of the enterprise technology industry. During her time at Mimecast, she led Product Management, Market Strategy, Corporate Development, and M&A, where she served as an Advisor to the CEO. Van Houten built two start-up technology platforms, including one focused on identifying and overcoming bias-based risk in enterprise technologies. In 2017, she launched Women@Work, which is dedicated to the economic advancement and self-reliance of women and girls around the world.
Christina Van Houten, '96Ex Officio Members
Douglas J. Skinner
Deputy Dean for Faculty and Sidney Davidson Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting
Douglas J. Skinner
Pietro Veronesi
Deputy Dean for Faculty and Chicago Board of Trade Professor of Finance
Pietro Veronesi