Susan Crown

Early life and education

Crown was born to a Jewish family, the daughter of Renée (née Schine) and Lester Crown. She earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University in Connecticut and a master's degree from New York University. She also attended Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Career

For nearly three decades, Susan Crown dedicated time and talent to social causes and the business world. As Partner of Henry Crown & Co, she helped manage businesses as diverse as oil and gas, defense, banking, cellular technology, and real estate. As Chairman of the Crown Family Philanthropies, she was involved in initiatives including the celebrated Crown Fountain in Millennium Park and the Covenant Awards for leaders in Jewish education.

The first woman board member of Illinois Tool Works (ITW) – a multi-faceted manufacturing and engineering business with a market cap in excess of $30B – Ms. Crown now chairs its Executive Committee. She’s also a board member of The Northern Trust Corporation and a former board member of Baxter International.

Ms. Crown serves as Vice-Chair of Rush University Medical Center. She led a $1 billion effort to transform the medical center campus, including the development of Chicago’s first gold level LEED-certified hospital which in 2014 won the World Architecture Prize for best designed health care facility. She’s a former Fellow of Yale Corporation and co-chaired the Yale Tomorrow Campaign. She’s a director of CARE USA and, in 2011, co-chaired its National Conference on Global Poverty, which led to legislative reforms.

Susan Crown Exchange

SCE partners with organizations to create social change. SCE’s mission is to help people acquire skills needed to succeed and thrive in a rapidly changing, highly connected world. SCE is focused on two program areas: digital learning and social and emotional learning, building grit, empathy, and emotion management. The Exchange intends to add programs to cultivate other 21st century skills.

SCE promotes social and emotional skills. In 2016, SCE published “Preparing Youth to Thrive: Promising Practices in Social and Emotional Learning", the first field guide for organizations aspiring to foster social and emotional growth in young people. The content was collected from experts of exemplary programs across the nation.

In the digital learning arena, SCE partnered with Common Sense Media to develop a learning ratings system. SCE and Common Sense Media have rated more than 3,500 digital learning products. The system informs parents, educators, and others about the educational value of a specific digital product and what style learner might benefit most from its use.

Owl Creek Partners

Owl Creek Partners is a private equity company with focused investments in real estate, securities, and consumer products. Most investments are with firms owned or managed by women.

Honors and awards

Crown has received several awards for her community work, including the Deborah Award from the American Jewish Congress, the William McCormick Blair Distinguished Service Award from the Yale Club of Chicago, and the Civic Leadership Award from the American Jewish Committee.

Personal life

In 1981, Crown married William Charles Kunkler III in an interfaith ceremony in Chicago. The couple lives in Chicago, Illinois. They have two children.