Connie L. Lindsey is Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Northern Trust, Chicago. She is the first African-American woman to achieve the title of Executive Vice President in the history of the firm. She is responsible for the design and implementation of the global Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for Northern Trust and the development of goals, policies, and programs appropriate to the brand and business unit strategies. In addition, Ms. Lindsey provides oversight and leadership to the firm’s response to environmental matters as well as social issues within the marketplace, workplace, and the community.
Prior to becoming the Head of CSR, Ms. Lindsey led the client servicing teams in the Public Entities and Institutions segment in the Corporate & Institutional Services business, serving public fund and not-for-profit clients. Over the course of her 18-year Northern Trust career, she has held a number of leadership roles, including Deputy Business Head in Operations and Technology, Group Head in Northern Trust’s Personal Financial Services business, Director of Enterprise Relationship Management, and Manager in Treasury Management Consulting and Product Management and holds the Certified Cash Manager designation.
Ms. Lindsey is National Board President of Girl Scouts of the USA, the highest ranking volunteer of this 3.4 million member organization. Ms. Lindsey joined the Girl Scouts board in 2005 and was elected National Board President in 2008 for a three year term. She was re-elected to the role of National Board President at the 2011 convention for another three year term. In this role she has provided guidance in three vital areas—policy, fund-raising, and leadership. Connie is an integral part of the Girl Scout transformation, committed to building and sustaining membership growth and ensuring girls receive a premier leadership development experience. She is a Delegate for Vision 2020, a national project focused on advancing gender equality by energizing the dialogue about women and leadership. Ms. Lindsey is a founding member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Green Schools, a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, Board member of the Executives' Club of Chicago, and the Board of Governors of the Metropolitan Club of Chicago. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow in the class of 2001, a former board member of the Joffrey Ballet, Women Employed, and Inroads, Inc. Ms. Lindsey attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she majored in finance and has completed the Harvard Business School Executive Education Corporate Social Responsibility program. She is a public and motivational speaker on topics of corporate responsibility, leadership, and personal and professional empowerment.
Ms. Lindsey has been profiled on national television on PBS’ 30GoodMinutes and ABC’s Heart and Soul. She has been recognized for her leadership professionally and in the community by the National Diversity Council’s Most Powerful and Influential Women Award, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois-Advocacy Award, N’Digo Corporate Leadership Award, Ebony Magazine’s 2009 Power 150, Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color award, Alpha Kappa Alpha Women Changing the World Award, Life Directions-Guiding Light Award, and the Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Award. In 2011 Ms. Lindsey was honored with the Spirit of Achievement award by Loretto Hospital Foundation. She was the first woman to receive the award in its eight year history. The recognition established the Connie L. Lindsey, Cancer Resource Center at Loretto Hospital in Chicago. She is a recipient of Northern Trust’s Chairman’s Diversity Award and Volunteer of the Year Award; she is an Inroads, Inc. Alumna and has been inducted into the Inroads Alumni Hall of Fame.