Christopher Ilitch

Christopher Paul Ilitch (born June 1965) is president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., a privately held entity with total revenues reported to be over $2 billion.[1] Through Ilitch Holdings, he is the owner of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings and MLB's Detroit Tigers, taking over ownership of both teams (along with the holding company and its related properties) upon the death of his father Mike in 2017.

Christopher Ilitch
Born
Christopher Paul Ilitch

(1965-06-02) June 2, 1965
Detroit, Michigan, US
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Michigan
OccupationBusinessman
TitlePresident and CEO, Ilitch Holdings
Term2010 - present
Spouse(s)Kelle Ilitch
Children3
Parent(s)Mike Ilitch
Marian Ilitch
RelativesDenise Ilitch (sister)

Early life

Ilitch is the youngest son of Mike Ilitch and Marian Ilitch.[2] His siblings are Denise Ilitch, Ronald "Ron" Tyrus Ilitch, Michael C. Ilitch, Jr., Lisa M. Ilitch Murray, Atanas Ilitch (born Thomas Ilitch), and Carole M. Ilitch. He is the former brother-in-law of sports executive Jim Lites.[3]

Ilitch attended high school at Cranbrook Kingswood in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he was a member of the state championship hockey team in 1983.[4] He earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Michigan in 1987.[5]

Career

Ilitch worked a short time at IBM before joining his family's business where he has been ever since. He worked for Little Caesars management in Walled Lake, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois before returning to the Detroit area.[5]

Ilitch Holdings provides professional services to the businesses owned by Michael and/or Marian Ilitch, including Little Caesar Enterprises, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Champion Foods, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Uptown Entertainment, and the Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program.

Ilitch is also chairman of Ilitch Charities and is on the board of directors of the Detroit Economic Club. He is chairman of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau board of directors and is a board member and a member of the executive committee for the Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Renaissance. He is also a member of the Detroit chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization. He was chairman of the hospitality committee for the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament and was a member of the Super Bowl XL host committee.

Ilitch, along with William Clay Ford Jr., served as co-chairmen for the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament held at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.[6]

Personal life

He and his wife, Kelle, have three children and reside in metro Detroit.[7]

Ilitch remains an avid hockey player and competes in an adult league in the Metro Detroit area.[5][6]

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Ilitches make it official: Chris in line to lead family business empire". freep.com. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  3. ELLIOTT, HELENE (May 24, 1998). "Detroit-Dallas: Not Quite a Family Affair". Retrieved September 1, 2018 – via LA Times.
  4. "From the Desk of the Athletic Director: Winter 2012 Season Wrap Up". cranbrook.edu. April 9, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  5. "Chris Ilitch took low-key road to top leadership". freep.com. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  6. Gerstner, Joanne C. "Scions of Ford and Ilitch Families Share Passion for Hockey". nytimes.com. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  7. "Front Office Directory". MLB.com. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.