Conagra Brands CEO Sean Connolly tapped as chair of Economic Club of Chicago

Conagra Brands CEO Sean Connolly has been named chair of The Economic Club of Chicago, effective July 1. Connolly succeeds Mary Dillon, president and CEO of Foot Locker, whose two-year term as chair will end June 30.

The Economic Club of Chicago counts 2,400 C-suite executives as members and hosts a high-profile speaker series that has featured film director Martin Scorsese and Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla. Connolly has been a member of the club since 2012 and has served on the organization’s board since 2017.

“I’m humbled by this opportunity, and look forward to leading the board and building on the momentum created by my predecessors, including the incomparable Mary Dillon, as we strive to carry out the mission of the ECC,” Connolly said in a news release.

Connolly has been CEO of Chicago-based Conagra, the Fortune 500 company behind brands, including Birds Eye, Reddi-Wip and Slim Jim, for eight years. Prior to joining Conagra, he was president and CEO of The Hillshire Brands Company, CEO of Sara Lee North American Retail and Foodservice, and president of Campbell’s North America. Earlier in his career, he spent 10 years in brand management at Procter & Gamble.

“Sean is a transformational leader and highly engaged ECC board member, and I am looking forward to working with him to fulfill our strategic initiatives, including raising the bar on programming, increasing member engagement and offering a premium member experience for C-suite Chicago,” Economic Club President and CEO David Snyder said in the release.