Past Event

Mellody Hobson
President, Ariel Investments and Financial Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America

Mellody Hobson is president of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based money management firm that serves retirement plans, individual investors and manages separate accounts for institutional clients. As president, Mellody is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, overseeing all operations outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as chairman of the board of trustees for the mutual funds. She joined the company in 1991 after graduating from Princeton University where she received her degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy.

Mellody has become a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education. Specifically, she is a regular financial contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America as well as a spokesperson for both the annual Ariel/Schwab Black Investor Survey and the 2009 Ariel/Hewitt study, “401(k) Plans in Living Color.” She is also actively involved with a variety of civic and professional institutions. Her community outreach includes serving as a board member of the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, The Field Museum, The Chicago Public Education Fund and The Sundance Institute. She is also a director of three public companies: DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. Additionally, she is on the board of governors of the Investment Company Institute and is a member of the SEC Investment Advisory Committee. She is also a former trustee of Princeton University. Mellody is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and is a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

Her professional and civic leadership have brought her to the forefront of media attention. In addition to her role on Good Morning America, Mellody has been a featured guest on ABC’s Nightline and World News Tonight. In 2007, she became a regular columnist in Black Enterprise and is frequently quoted in various news publications including Money, Fortune, Fast Company and PINK magazines. In 2008, she was highlighted as a financial expert in a special PBS documentary entitled, “Retirement Revolution.”