Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (LFGSM) recently honored Russell M. Flaum with its 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievement. Flaum, who earned his Lake Forest MBA with high honors in 1984, is Executive Vice President of ITW, where he oversees the $2.7 billion, 7,500-employee Global Industrial Packaging Systems business. Flaum currently is Director and Executive Committee Member for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). In addition he serves as the Illinois Regional Chair for NAM and was recently elected to the Advisory Board of Z Capital Partners, LLC in Lake Forest, Illinois. He is a former Director of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Ryerson Inc., Quanex Corporation, and Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Mr. Flaum began his career with ITW by joining Signode Corporation, a division of ITW, as a sales representative in 1975. From 1975 through 1986, Flaum held several marketing positions leading up to VP, Marketing in 1986. He became President of Signode's U.S. business in 1990, until elected to his current position in 1992. He holds a BA degree in Psychology from Vanderbilt University, and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.