Kellogg School of Management Names State-of-the-Art Executive Center to Honor Ann M. Drake

Largest donor in school's history is visionary leader, 
philanthropist, and champion for women

EVANSTON, Ill., Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University announced today that one of its most distinguished alumnae—Ann McIlrath Drake '84 MBA ('25,'25 GP)—has made a transformative gift to support its new center for global engagement and innovative learning on the Evanston campus. In recognition of Ms. Drake's philanthropy of $70 million, the Kellogg building will be named the Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center in her honor. 

"Ann Drake embodies the bold leadership we cultivate at Kellogg," said Francesca Cornelli, Dean of the Kellogg School of Management. "She has shaped industries, championed the ambitions of many, and invested deeply in Kellogg students and programs. This building will inspire generations to lead with the same vision, courage, and commitment to others."

A trailblazer in the field of supply chain management, Ms. Drake is a graduate of Kellogg's Executive MBA program and a steadfast champion of the school. Her generosity over the years has supported numerous scholarships and faculty development programs as well as the Kellogg Global Women's Summit in 2018 and 2024.

The building named in her honor is a significant addition to Northwestern's Evanston campus. Built with global collaboration in mind, the new Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center's technology-enabled classrooms will bring together students, industry leaders, and alumni from around the world for an extraordinary educational experience. The building plays a central role in creating a unified Kellogg campus: positioned adjacent to the existing Global Hub overlooking Lake Michigan and connected via an underground corridor to create "One Kellogg."

When complete, the center will serve as home to Kellogg's Executive MBA and Executive Education programs while also housing programs for all Kellogg students. It is the centerpiece of Kellogg's Full Circle Campaign, an ambitious $600 million fundraising initiative by the university designed to transform business education for generations to come.

The new facility will seamlessly integrate in-person and virtual learning, an innovative approach that brings together students, faculty, alumni, and corporate leaders to engage with each other as both teachers and learners.

"This project realizes a dream of mine to advance how we study, support, and inspire leadership everywhere, and especially women's leadership," said Ms. Drake. "I think good leaders matter, because good leaders and inspired leadership help make the world a better place."

Recognized as one of the country's preeminent women executives, Ms. Drake transformed her family's warehouse and trucking business on Chicago's South Side into one of the world's leading supply chain management companies. Her leadership helped revolutionize the industry by elevating supply chain services from a commodity into an essential component of successful business strategy.

Today, Ms. Drake is President and Founder of Lincoln Road Enterprises, an operational philanthropic organization focused on elevating women's leadership and creating a future in which women are at the forefront of improving the world. Lincoln Road advances key initiatives and affiliated nonprofits impacting women's leadership in business, global supply chain, engineering and technology, infrastructure and design, and space and astrophysics.

In 2013, Ms. Drake founded AWESOME (Achieving Women's Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education), which became the preeminent community for women in supply chain. She has also established the Women's Leadership Center at Williams Bay on the shores of Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. The center, scheduled to open in 2026, will bring together accomplished women in an extraordinary space dedicated to collaboration and generating solutions to complex problems.

Ms. Drake also currently serves as a member of Kellogg's Global Advisory Board.

The Ann McIlrath Drake Executive Center is scheduled to open in fall 2027.

Media Contact

Mary Naset
Director, Communications
Kellogg School of Management
[email protected] 

SOURCE Kellogg School of Management