Carole Brown has held senior leadership roles in the private sector, across asset management, banking, and municipal finance, and in the public sector, working for the City of Chicago.
Carole previously served as Head of the Asset Management Group for PNC Financial Services Group, one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services institutions, from 2020 until August 2024, and subsequently served as Special Advisor to PNC’s Chief Executive Officer until her retirement in January 2025. She previously served as Chief Change and Risk Officer for PNC’s Asset Management Group and Corporate & Institutional Banking businesses.
From 2015 to 2019, Carole was Chief Financial Officer for the City of Chicago. Carole also served as Chair of the Chicago Transit Authority, the nation’s second-largest transportation agency. Prior to working in the public sector, Carole spent many years in municipal finance with firms including First Chicago Corp., Mesirow Financial, Barclays Capital, and Lehman Brothers.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Smurfit Westrock PLC as well as on the Board of Trustees of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Joyce Foundation. She has previously served on several other corporate and non-profit boards.
Carole earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.