The Weatherhead School honored alumni during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend on Friday, October 13. The Alumni Awards were established in 1993 to honor alumni who personify the school's mission of developing transformational ideas and outstanding leaders for the advancement of business and society.
Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary professional achievement of the highest caliber. Michael Chapman (MGT ’00) and Gary Von Lehmden (MGT ’81) were this year’s honorees.
Mike Chapman is a senior partner at Kearney, a global management consulting firm based out of Washington, D.C. He is a seasoned management consultant specializing in corporate & growth strategy, business transformation and operations—for media and entertainment companies and other industries.
Chapman earned a joint degree from the Weatherhead School in 2000, with MBA concentrations in finance and strategy and MSM-information systems. He was the first student in the history of Weatherhead to complete the 48-hour MBA and MSM-IS joint degree program in roughly 18 months.
Chapman is an accomplished thought leader and public speaker. He is also a member of the distinguished Executive Leadership Council which is focused on preparing a path for future domestic and international black executives.
Gary Von Lehmden earned his MBA with a focus in banking and finance. He has a lifetime of experience working in the highest echelons of the most competitive firms in the global financial markets. His 37 years in various positions atop Citibank are both a remarkable testament to his success and clear evidence of his level of leadership.
When he retired from Citibank in 2019, he did so as chairman of the corporate bank—a role he held while retaining his positions as chief lending officer and head of global capital markets for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Today he is the CEO and chair of Summerhill Capital Investors. Von Lehmden’s philanthropic sensibilities led to his becoming board chair for United Way UK and to joining the regional council for United Way Europe. He continues to serve on the boards of the International Board of Habitat for Humanity UK and is a past chairman of British American Business.
Outstanding Alumni Award
The Outstanding Alumni Award is presented to alumni in recognition of their leadership, dedication, and service to the Weatherhead School, their community, or a public or non-profit organization. This year’s recipients are Loretta Randolph (GRS ’87, organization development & analysis) and Chris Winkle (WRC ’86).
Loretta Randolph is a standout graduate of the organizational development program at Weatherhead. For nearly 40 years, Randolph helped to create more fully human and thriving organizations across the three sectors of business, government and civil society, all while helping to lead and grow our active and dynamic alumni community. She has become a nationally known expert in organizational development, which has led to countless numbers of candidates enrolling in our MPOD program.
She is admired for her professional capacities, her philanthropic heart, and for modeling all the values of our field and school. She is a recognized expert in appreciative inquiry, and is skilled in dialog, executive coaching, consensus building, and strategic planning for sustainability.
When Randolph retired and returned to Cleveland, she made the decision to lend her expertise to the advancement of the MPOD program. Loretta was appointed co-chair of the MOD-MPOD Alumni Community Steering Committee and chair of the MPOD Practitioner Mentoring Program.
Chris Winkle is a generous alumnus whose words and deeds showcase his commitment to improving the world around him.
Winkle’s commitment to others is evident in his leadership in the healthcare sector, particularly in his innovation in residential and long-term care for our vulnerable senior population. At the helm of Sunrise Senior Living, the company incentivized treating the whole person, taking care to promote residents’ well-being physically, cognitively, and emotionally—all while maintaining the highest standards for staff.
Winkle spent much of his career in healthcare and pioneered approaches for improved care and outcomes for sub-acute patients. In addition to his role as CEO of Sunrise, he has previously served as CEO of MedQuest, president and CEO of Mariner Health Care, and COO of Integrated Health Services.
Winkle and his family are also devoted supporters of Heart for Africa, a humanitarian organization pledged to protecting orphans, improving education, quelling hunger, alleviating poverty, and in all ways lifting up the lives of the people Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). His family is also committed to International Justice Mission, a global organization aligned to eliminate the slave trade everywhere.