Ronald J Gidwitz

Mr. Ronald J. Gidwitz is the son of one of the founders of the Company and has served on the Board since 1974. Mr. Gidwitz is currently a partner in GCG Partners, a strategic consulting and equity capital firm he co-founded in 1998. Mr. Gidwitz served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unilever HPC Helene Curtis Business Unit from 1996 to 1998. Prior to that, Mr. Gidwitz served as President (since 1979) and Chief Executive Officer (since 1985) and member of the Board of Directors of Helene Curtis, a Fortune 500 consumer products company. Before being appointed President, Mr. Gidwitz held a number of positions within the company, with responsibilities ranging from sales to manufacturing. Mr. Gidwitz currently serves as a director on the Board of Kapstone Paper and Packaging Corporation, a publicly traded company as well as serving on the Board of numerous non-profit organizations including Rush University Medical Center, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In addition, in 2006 Mr. Gidwitz was a candidate for Governor of the State of Illinois. Mr. Gidwitz is a partner in GCG Partners and previously led Helene Curtis Industries as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Gidwitz is also Chicago regional chair of the Business Executives for National Security and, for almost thirty consecutive years, and led three important public institutions; the Chicago Economic Development Commission, the City Colleges of Chicago, and the Illinois State Board of Education. In addition, Mr. Gidwitz chaired the Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Workforce Development and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Mr. Gidwitz earned a B.A. from Brown University, Providence Rhode Island. He has received numerous honors and awards including the Bertha Palmer Distinguished Civic Leadership Award from the Chicago Historical Society and been named Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.