Sue Bettman is a Partner at Brunswick Group, the world’s leading critical issues advisory firm, where she advises clients on financial transactions, litigation and corporate crises. Sue is an independent director, accomplished C-suite leader, and strategic business advisor with battle-tested management skills and the ability to drive innovation. Sue is a respected partner to the CEO, Board of Directors, and executive team, with proven expertise in corporate governance, executive compensation, shareholder engagement, compliance programs, human capital management, crisis management, and enterprise risk management. She is a steward of corporate culture and a collaborative leader who communicates effectively and builds productive relationships with all levels of an organization. Notably, Sue has extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, integrations, spin-offs, reorganizations, and other transactions to support and evolve the capital structure.
Sue serves on the Board of Directors, the Credit Committee, and the Compensation & Talent Management Committee of Alliant Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the country.
Sue was the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of LSC Communications (from October 2016 to March 2021), which was a publicly traded $3.3 billion provider of digital and print communications and logistics services. Sue chaired the Executive Steering Committee for a transformational company-wide, multi-year cost and revenue improvement project which resulted in an annualized cost savings run-rate of more than $250 million. She had responsibility for LSC’s human resources, marketing and communications, government affairs, insurance, compliance, legal, and environmental, health and safety functions. Sue was a member of a three-person leadership team (with the CEO and CFO) leading LSC’s bankruptcy and the auction of its business which led to a successful sale to a private equity firm. She had P&L responsibility for LSC’s $95 million print management business, served as LSC’s Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer and was the co-executive lead of LSC’s COVID-19 response. In addition to being the lead crisis management executive, Sue chaired the Ethics & Compliance and Whistleblower Committees and was a member of the Enterprise Risk Management and Disclosure Committees.
Sue was General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of RR Donnelley (from February 2004 to September 2016) which was, prior to its spin-off of LSC, a global, publicly traded $13 billion provider of digital and print communications and logistics services. At RRD, Sue was a member of the five-person Executive Steering Committee responsible for strategy, structure and implementation of the company’s simultaneous spin-off of two of its businesses into separate publicly traded entities, chaired the Ethics & Compliance and Whistleblower Committees, was a member of the Enterprise Risk Management and Disclosure Committees, and was responsible for all Board and governance matters as well as outreach to RRD’s largest institutional shareholders and leadership of the compliance, intellectual property, legal, and insurance functions.
Sue started her career and became partner at Kirkland & Ellis. While there she led efficient, high-performing teams across a broad range of complex transactions including public and private securities offerings, negotiated acquisitions and divestitures, equity and debt financings, asset securitizations, and private equity investments.
She is a member of and former Board Chair of The Chicago Network, and a member and former Board member of the Economic Club of Chicago. Sue also chaired the Board and the Audit & Risk Management Committee of The Sacred Heart Schools of Chicago where she led a transformation of its governance structure. She serves on the Board of Regents of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.
After receiving her BA in Economics from Northwestern University, she received a JD from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Sue is qualified to serve on the Audit, Compensation and Governance Committees of public company boards.