Alumna Mary Kay Kretch Haben receives Chicago Illini of the Year Award

  Three University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumni have been selected as the 2017 Chicago Illini of the Year award recipients: Rebecca A. Snyders Darr, Chief Executive Officer, WINGS; Mary Kay Kretch Haben, Retired President, North America at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company; and Honorable James F. Holderman Jr., Retired Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mary Kay Kretch Haben’s distinguished business career includes executive roles at two of Chicago’s best-known companies: Kraft Foods and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Over a 27-year career at Kraft, Haben ’77 BUS, led several multi-billion dollar divisions as president, and oversaw the growth of iconic supermarket brands such as Philadelphia cream cheese, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, A.1. Steak Sauce and DiGiorno pizza. In 2007, Haben accepted a position with Wrigley as president, North America, the company’s most profitable region. After Wrigley was acquired by Mars, Inc., in 2008, she successfully integrated Wrigley gum’s operations into Mars Confections, and oversaw such brands as Skittles, Starburst and Orbit gum in the U.S. and Canadian markets until her retirement in 2011. Haben currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Bob Evans Farms, The Hershey Co. and the Off the Street Club, Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club, and she serves on the Board of Trustees for Equity Residential. Previously, she served as a board member for Liz Claiborne. Haben received her undergraduate degree in business administration from Illinois, joining her husband Ed’77 BUS, and sons, Mike ’10 BUS, and Jack ’13 MEDIA, as UI alumni. A strong advocate on behalf of the University, Haben served as chair of the University of Illinois Alumni Association Board of Directors, and is a member of the University of Illinois Foundation Board of Directors. The Chicago Illini of the Year award was created in 1997 and is co-sponsored by the UI Alumni Association and the Chicago Illini Club. The awards are presented to graduates of the Urbana-Champaign University who reside in the greater Chicago area and are recognized for overall professional achievement, contributions to the greater Chicago community and demonstrated interest in the University of Illinois. Visit the Illinois Alumni Association for more information.