REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
SUBJECT:Ambassadorial Nomination:Certificate of
Demonstrated Competence — Foreign Service
Act, Section 304(a)(4)
POST:Kingdom of Belgium
CANDIDATE:Ronald Gidwitz
Ronald Gidwitz is a highly successful businessman and prominent civic leader.He is currently a partner in GCG Partners, Chicago, Illinois (since 1998).Previously Mr. Gidwitz led Helene Curtis Industries as President and Chief Executive Officer for almost twenty years and was in leadership roles in the company for a decade before that.Mr. Gidwitz presently serves as the Chicago Regional Chair of the Business Executives for National Security and, for almost thirty consecutive years, led three important public institutions, the Chicago Economic Development Commission, the City Colleges of Chicago and the Illinois State Board of Education.His almost five decades of experience in business and civic leadership have demonstrated proven, dedicated and successful leadership, vision, and management and his ability to build coalitions drawn from his partners in the business, non-profit, and political fields have been a key to success and combine to make him well-qualified to serve as American Ambassador to Belgium.
Mr. Gidwitz’s wide ranging commitment to public service and to support civic growth led him to prominent roles as a National Board Member of the Smithsonian Institution, board member of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and he has served as Chair and board member of the Field Museum of Natural History and board member of the Museum Science and Industry, also in Chicago.In addition, among many other contributions, Mr. Gidwitz chaired the Illinois Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Workforce Development and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Mr. Gidwitz earned a B.A. from Brown University, Providence Rhode Island.He has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including being named Laureate by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, receiving the Bertha Palmer Distinguished Civic Leadership Award from the Chicago Historical Society, being recognized as Laureate, Chicago Business Hall of Fame, by Junior Achievement of Chicago, and receiving the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.