Chicago Sinfonietta announces Interim CEO

Wendy Lewis, Founder and CEO, Wendy Lewis, LLC

Chicago Sinfonietta announces consultant Wendy Lewis has been engaged to serve as Interim CEO while the Board of Directors conducts a national search for a new CEO to replace outgoing CEO and President Blake-Anthony Johnson, whose departure was announced earlier in October. Ms. Lewis will begin her term with Chicago Sinfonietta on January 1, 2025.

Lewis is Founder and CEO of Wendy Lewis, LLC, a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practice firm; the creator of AllySHIFT™, a progressive and seismic platform for advocacy and sustainable equity; and the Executive Producer of the award-winning documentary, “Beyond Their Years, The Incredible Legacies of Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil.”

Lewis formerly served as Global Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Community Engagement for McDonald’s. Prior to McDonald’s, Lewis served a trailblazing 30-year career with Major League Baseball, in which she became first-in-sports to lead HR and DEI roles and centralize both disciplines at the Club level with the Chicago Cubs and later as a league-wide practice.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, and a Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

In announcing Lewis’s interim role with Chicago Sinfonietta, Board Chair James Weidner and Vice Chair Genhi Givings Bailey stated, “We are excited to have Wendy serve the organization as Interim CEO. Her vast experience in management and the areas of diversity and inclusion, and her expert leadership skills will ensure a smooth transition for the new CEO once identified."

“I’m honored to serve as the Interim CEO for Chicago Sinfonietta,” said Ms. Lewis. “I wholeheartedly believe in and support Chicago Sinfonietta’s mission of diversity and inclusion, and the role the orchestra plays in the Chicagoland community. As a Board Member intimately familiar with the Sinfonietta’s season, I look forward to stewarding the organization during this time of transition.”

Chicago Sinfonietta has hired m/Oppenheim to carry out the Executive search. For more information on Ms. Lewis, click here for her full biography.

Chicago Sinfonietta
A tenured orchestra and acclaimed cultural leader that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion by creating community through curated symphonic experiences, Chicago Sinfonietta is a source of community through music, as well as ensuring and inspiring a continued investment in diversity and inclusivity in the genre of classical music to promote fairness and equity. Recognized as groundbreaking, dynamic and daring, with core values built around being culturally responsive and advocates of inclusivity in all aspects of the 37-year-old organization’s work, Chicago Sinfonietta’s unrelenting commitment to being at the forefront of innovation drives its high standard of symphonic experiences. CS takes pride in leading by example with immersive audience engagement activities, impactful career development, education, and extensive community outreach programs. https://chicagosinfonietta.org

Press Contact
Laura Grant, Publicist
917.359.7319; Lgrant@chicagosinfonietta.org