Glen Ellyn Discover Exec Chosen For Burnham Fellowship Cohort

GLEN ELLYN, IL — A Glen Ellyn businessman is one of 25 senior-level executives from the greater Chicago area that has been selected to participate in the 2022 cohort of the Daniel Burnham Fellowship, Leadership Greater Chicago recently announced.

Matt Johanson, the senior vice president for social impact and chief environmental, social and governance officer for Discover Financial Services, has been chosen for the honor. The Daniel Burnham Fellowship started in 2019 and now includes 100 fellows, all of whom are C-Level and senior executives working within their respective firms.

According to Johanson's LinkedIn profile, he has been with Discover for the past 26 years and has worked in a number of roles, including his current role which he just started this month.

The Daniel Burnham Fellowship is an accelerator for top executives who, in their roles as change leaders and decision makers, are able to play an active part in shaping the socioeconomic future of Chicago, Leadership Chicago said in a news release.

The Fellowship integrates participants into the civic fabric of the city — understanding its history and future trajectory — and facilitates the building of relationships and networks across the Greater Chicago Region, the group said.

The Fellowship cohort is designed to inspire and mobilize these leaders to exert their combined influence and intellect to urgently impact Chicago’s workforce and the region’s economic progress. Through cross-industry learning and connections with renowned subject matter experts and nearly 100 peers, participants gain broadened perspectives and build strategic connections to make an impact on Chicago and drive it to be a city with potential for all, the release said.

“These leaders have demonstrated a commitment to closing the gaps in our region's work force and have the ability to create jobs, thereby driving economic progress in the City’s most deserving communities,” said Leadership Greater Chicago CEO and Founding Daniel Burnham Fellow Maria Wynne. “The collaborations that will be forged among these Fellows hold promise for both their organizations and the economic growth of our communities.”