Business Experience
Donna Zarcone served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Economic Club of Chicago, a civic and business leadership organization, from February 2012 until July 2020, as well as Interim President from October 2011 until February 2012. She was President and Chief Executive Officer of D.F. Zarcone & Associates LLC, a strategic advisory firm, from 2007 until February 2012. Ms. Zarcone served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. (HDFS). She also led the formation of Eaglemark Savings Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of HDFS, and served as its Chair and President. Early in her career, she served as the Chief Financial Officer for two start-ups, a technology leasing firm and a financial technology company, that were subsequently sold to strategic investors.
Ms. Zarcone has been serving on corporate boards for more than 30 years and is an Audit Committee Financial Expert and a certified public accountant. She is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Director and is credentialed in environmental, social and governance and climate governance by NACD. She was also invited to serve as a NACD Commissioner for the Future of the American Board Initiative to re-examine the role of the board beyond its ongoing commitment to shareholders. In 2022, she was featured in NACD’s Directorship magazine, which highlighted her commitment to director professionalism. She also holds a Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University.
Ms. Zarcone serves on the board of directors for the NACD Corporate Directors Institute, the independent sister organization to NACD. Ms. Zarcone is the Chair of the Investment and Finance Committee for Duchossois Capital Management,
serves as Chair of the Audit Committee of Halstatt LLC, and serves as Chair of the Audit Committee for Quinnox. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the National Board of the Smithsonian Institution, with a focus on sustainability and digital transformation through the organization’s Our Shared Future initiatives.