1871 has a new CEO.
The Chicago tech hub and incubator announced that it has hired Betsy Ziegler to be its new leader. Ziegler is 1871's first female chief executive.
Ziegler has spent the last seven years at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, most recently as its chief innovation officer for portfolio innovation.
"It’s an absolute honor and privilege to take the reins from the great Howard Tullman and lead this amazing institution forward," Ziegler said in a statement. "I am excited to engage and partner with the entire tech/entrepreneurial ecosystem in extending the impact of 1871 and the reputation of Chicago as the go-to tech hub across the globe."
Ziegler's appointment comes as the search to replace Tullman, who became 1871’s CEO in 2013, has taken longer than expected. Tullman said in August he planned to step down at the end of 2017, but that timeline shifted. Tullman told Chicago Inno in January that 1871 hoped to find a replacement by March.
"My greatest concern in changing my role at 1871 was to be certain that, in the transition and in the selection of our new leader, we didn’t lose a single step or an ounce of the tremendous energy and momentum that is so central to 1871’s success," Tullman said in a statement. "I’m confident that Betsy can step into the job, hit the ground running, and keep us moving forward in the right directions and at the speed which is essential to keep 1871 and Chicago at the forefront of the global technology arms race.”
More to come.
