Loading Preparing Cameras

Alison Ranney

About

Alison Ranney specializes in leading CEO, President, Executive Director and other senior executive searches for mission-driven clients across the country and around the world. Alison is also the Partner in Charge, Chicago leading the Chicago office of Koya Leadership Partners and Diversified Search.

Alison partners with a broad range of clients including foundations, cultural institutions, membership organizations, other nonprofits, colleges and universities. She has successfully led searches at the CEO, President, Executive Director, Dean, COO, CFO, and VP levels as well as Board members.

Alison’s work has been featured in numerous publications over the years. In a 2017 cover page article, Crain’s Chicago Business profiled Koya’s efforts to strengthen and diversify the senior-most leadership at mission-driven clients in the Chicago area and nationally, noting “Koya Leadership Partners’ Alison Ranney is remaking what leadership looks like across the country.”

Representative clients include the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Obama Foundation, the Art Institute of Chicago, the United Way, and the American Red Cross. Alison also has deep expertise in Higher Education having led searches for the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Stanford University, Northwestern University, and the University of Pennsylvania, among others.

Prior to joining Koya, Alison was with Russell Reynolds Associates, where she led the development of the Nonprofit practice in the Midwest and received the firm’s inaugural award for Excellence in Client Service.

Alison began her career at Skadden, Arps, where she was a corporate attorney with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. She also served as Vice President at the real estate development firm responsible for Prairie Crossing, the award-winning conservation community, and as an executive with AT&T Wireless where she specialized in joint ventures.

With a strong commitment to civic involvement, Alison has served on numerous boards nationally and locally. She Chairs the Nominating & Governance Committee of Public Radio International (PRI) which recently affected a successful merger with PRX, another leader in the public media field. She has also served on the boards of the Goodman Theatre, World Business Chicago, and Forefront. Alison served on the Board of Directors of WBEZ/Chicago Public Media for 12 years and chaired the CEO Search Committee for the highly successful current CEO. Alison was on the Founding Board of City Year Chicago and the Board of Ryerson Woods Conservation Area.

For her alma maters, Alison has served on the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago Law School and the Alumni Council of Phillips Andover Academy.

She is a member of the Commercial Club, the Economic Club, and The Chicago Network. Earlier in her career, she was selected as an Emerging Leader by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Alison is also on the Board of Directors of the flagship bank of Wintrust Financial Corporation where she is active on the Compensation & Nominating, Audit, and Business Development Committees.

Alison received her B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in Urban Studies from Brown University. She earned her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.
Videos (2)
Develop Strong People
Executive Recruiting Firm Focuses On Nonprofits
Company Spotlight in Tech
Narrative Science
videos (1)
Stuart Frankel
Snap36
videos (1)
Jeff Hunt
ArrowStream
videos (1)
Frank Morgiewicz
ReviewTrackers
videos (2)
Chris Campbell
Chicago Health Executives Forum
videos (1)
Georgia Casciato
Mimo Monitors
videos (1)
Table XI
videos (1)
Mark Rickmeier
Hireology
videos (2)
Framework IT
Tock and The Alinea Group
videos (1)
Nick Kokonas
Inquidia
videos (1)
Steve Miller
Rippleshot
videos (1)
Canh Tran
i.c.stars
videos (1)
Sandee Kastrul
ParqEx
videos (1)
Vivek Mehra
Syndio
videos (1)
Zack Johnson
Wi-Tronix, LLC
videos (1)
Larry Jordan
Liberty Advisor Group
videos (1)
Sara Fitzgerald
Bacon Sports
videos (2)
Rob Cressy
Sunderland Coaching
videos (1)
Debra Sunderland
Geofeedia
videos (1)
Phil Harris
SwiftIQ
videos (1)
Jason Lobel
The Novo Group
videos (1)
Kelly Renz
Catalytic
videos (1)
Scientel Solutions
videos (1)
Nelson Santos
Infiniteach
videos (1)
Katie Hench
Ocient
videos (1)
Chris Gladwin
WiredScore
videos (1)
ThinkCERCA
videos (1)
Eileen Murphy
Dolphin Rose Music and Media Worldwide
videos (1)
Dylan Jordan
1871
videos (2)
Howard Tullman
Framework CareFree IT
videos (1)
Ben Kohn
Dealer Inspire
videos (1)
Joe Chura
Clear Automation, LLC
videos (1)
John DeBlasio
Novatio Solutions
videos (1)
Gokul Solai
HigherGround Managed Services
videos (1)
Brian Brammeier
BMW Technology Corporation
videos (1)
Randy Cavaiani
HERE
videos (1)
AAron Dannenbring
Zebra Technologies
videos (1)
SiNode Systems
videos (1)
Samir Mayekar
ADP
videos (1)
Chris Collins
FLEx Lighting
videos (1)
Mike Casper
Envoy Global
videos (1)
Nexus A.I.
videos (1)
Phil Alexander
Emerging Technologies, Inc.
videos (1)
Inna Berkovich
Gympass
videos (1)
Sean Flynn
Tovala
videos (1)
David Rabie
Raise The Bar Consulting
videos (1)
Aaron Levy
One North Interactive
videos (1)
John Simpson