CHICAGO — The Chicago Family Business Council announced that Patrick J. O’Rahilly, managing director at Aspen Marketing Services, a division of Epsilon, is the recipient of the organization’s 2013-2014 leadership award. The honor is presented annually to a nominated Chicago business professional who has exhibited excellence as a leader and embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of the council. O’Rahilly will be honored during a presentation May 8 at the annual CFBC Family Business Day.

As managing director at Aspen Marketing Services, O’Rahilly has been a catalyst behind the agency’s growth and a strategic leader to his team for more than 20 years. With his counsel, the firm has consistently created award-winning work for clients that include many of the world’s Fortune 100 companies. He has cultivated long-lasting relationships with clients in a variety of industry verticals including telecommunications, retail, financial and automotive. The automotive sector is where O’Rahilly’s career began, serving as managing director of Creative Marketing International, an automotive marketing firm, and then as president of JP Automotive Group.

“It is truly an honor to be the recipient of this prestigious award,” O’Rahilly said. “It is a pleasure to be recognized by CFBC in this distinctive way. I look forward to our continued partnership.”

"Every year I am inspired by the recipient of our leadership award and that is absolutely true in Patrick’s case,” said Judy Hogel, executive director of the Chicago Family Business Council, which is affiliated with DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business.

“Patrick is a genuine entrepreneur who has stayed true to his values and beliefs of what it takes to succeed. To this day, those values remain the driver of Aspen’s success. We are thrilled to be able to offer Chicago and the DePaul community a chance to hear about Patrick’s vast experience in leadership and business at CFBC Family Business Day,” Hogel said.

The event on May 8 will begin at 3 p.m. at The Union League Club, 65 W Jackson Blvd. Special guest Eric Allyn will present “Stories of Success,” during which he will discuss how  his organization, Welch Allyn, a family-owned company in the medical device field, has navigated through five generations of leadership.

The event is open to the public and free for DePaul students, faculty and staff. Additional details and registration are online at http://www.chicagofbc.com/events/fbd.

The Chicago Family Business Council exists to help family businesses and other closely held companies achieve their business goals through a peer support system. Established in 1993, the council, now affiliated with DePaul University, offers educational programs that provide growth strategies for chief executives, and their employees, families and businesses. More information is at www.chicagofbc.com.

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Media Contact:
Judy Hogel, Executive Director
Judy@chicagofbc.com
(312) 362-7518