It's been a big year for Bonnie W. Gwin, managing partner of executive search and leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. In November, Ms. Gwin was named to lead the Chicago-based firm's North American Board Practice and separately was voted chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation board of directors.
Gwin, a 12-year partner at Heidrick & Struggles, has served on the Make-A-Wish board since 2005 and was selected to chair the organization's Governance Committee in 2006. She also has served as a volunteer leader at the chapter level of the foundation's Northeast Regional Board of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
It was serendipity that she got involved with the foundation about four years ago, when she helped recruit Make-A-Wish President and CEO David Williams, who had previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Habitat for Humanity International, she said in an interview.
Ms. Gwin said Make-A-Wish has granted more than 200,000 wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions since its inception in October 1980.
“People are incredibly generous and we're very fortunate to have generous corporate and individual donors who really have a passion for giving children hope,” she said. “It's an honor to take on this role. “ — Timothy Inklebarger
