Don Perkins was involved in building and leading Jewel Companies, Inc., a food and drugstore chain, during his early career and, then, served as Chairman and CEO for the ten years prior to his retirement in 1980.

Since then, he has served on the Board of Directors of companies including: AON; AT&T; Corning Glass Works; Cummins Engine Company; Eastman Kodak Company; Firestone Tire & Rubber Company; Inland Steel Industries; Kmart Corporation; Lucent Technologies, Inc., The Putnam Funds; Springs Industries, Inc., and Time, Inc. He is currently chairman of Nanophase Technologies and a director of LaSalle Hotel Properties.

Don has been named Director of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors and one of ten outstanding directors by Board Alert. He is a strategist, an outstanding operating executive, and a trusted advisor to CEOs and other corporate leaders around the world. He is widely known for his integrity, his experience, his wisdom, and his ability to build relationships across industries, countries and continents.

Perkins is Honorary Chairman of the Illinois Coalition and Protector of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Continuity Trust. He is a Life Trustee and served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University. He is also a member of the Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, a Director of Leadership for Quality Education, and a member of RoundTable Healthcare Partners L.P. Advisory Boards.

Mr. Perkins holds a B.A. degree from University and an M.B.A. degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.