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Wintrust hires diversity chief

ROSEMONT - Wintrust Financial Corp. has hired Melissa Donaldson to serve as the company's Chief Diversity Officer.

She will work with senior leadership companywide to drive diversity and inclusion priorities, including initiatives aimed at increasing diversity in leadership pipeline development, marketplace reach and community engagement. She will also manage partnerships to enhance various talent initiatives and work with business units to reinforce inclusive approaches to addressing talent needs and marketplace opportunities in order to drive business success.

"This is a position we've been looking to create for a while now," said Wintrust's President and Chief Executive Officer Edward J. Wehmer. "We know the importance of solidifying our diversity and inclusion efforts and I could not be more pleased with the level of talent we've found to fill this role. I know Melissa's extensive experience and many accomplishments will make her a real asset to Wintrust."

Donaldson was most recently at Walgreens as Director of Diversity Networks and Communication. Her responsibilities included strategic partnerships, inclusion councils, business resource groups, multicultural leadership initiatives, women's development strategy and diversity communications. Prior to that role, Donaldson was with CDW as its first Director of Inclusion Practices.

Donaldson's work has also been published in Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity Executive and Workforce Management magazines and shared in a number of industry outlets. She was named to Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2008 and is a recipient of the Diversity Officer Leadership Award by Diversity Best Practices and the Rising Star Diversity Leadership Peer Award by Diversity Woman Magazine.

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