Arts and Business Leadership Professor
Chicago, IL
Mary Ittelson is an arts leadership professor, creativity researcher, and arts advocate. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Strategy at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where she founded the Art + Business Lab. Prior to Booth, Mary was a Lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Among her cultural leadership roles, Mary is a life trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago where she was Board Chair and Associate Director. She serves on the Stanford University Arts Advisory Council and the board of Parliament Data Solutions.
Mary’s firm, Ittelson Consulting, provides strategy, governance, and leadership counsel to arts and cultural organizations. Her previous consulting experience was at McKinsey and Company where she served Fortune 100 companies.
Prior to her management career, Mary was a professional dancer and choreographer. She was Assistant Professor at Northwestern University where she taught dance technique, choreography, and history. She was Executive Director of Crossroads, a New York-based company of dancers and musicians.
Mary earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a BA in Choreography from New York University, and studied dance at The Juilliard School. As a Stanford DCI Fellow, Mary studied literature and creative writing. She is working on a novel, swims like a fish, and can still touch her toes.