Carla R. Michelotti

Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Legal, Government & Corporate Affairs Officer

Leo Burnett Worldwide

Carla Michelotti had legal responsibility for the Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide global networks, as well as government and community/industry affairs.  As a member of the Leo Burnett Worldwide Global Leadership Council,  Carla provided counsel on all aspects of legal issues affecting the advertising industry and business. She is recognized as one of the industry's foremost legal authorities on a broad scope of issues pertaining to commercial speech, intellectual property and communications.  She has spoken to many groups around the world, and is proud to have  organized the first global meetings of self regulators to discuss advertising self-regulation, and was first to meet with the White House and  EU representatives to discuss the government issues related to online advertising

Carla's served as chairman of both American Advertising Federation and the National Advertising Review Council. She remains on the Boards of both of those organizations as well as on the Boards of The Chicago Network, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago & NW Indiana, The International Advertising Association, Athena International, House of the Good Shepherd, Junior Achievement of Chicago, and Illinois Equal Justice Foundation. She is an  IAA vice president for government affairs, and is Vice Chairman of the United States Council for International Business Marketing committee.  Carla is a past board member, and current member, of The Economic Club of Chicago.

 She has received numerous honors, including an honorary Doctorate from DePaul University, the Justinian Award for Excellence, the DePaul Law School's Outstanding Service to the Profession award, was named named Ad Woman of the Year, received the Chicago Advertising Industry's prestigious Silver Medal, and the AAF 's highest honor nationally, as well as being named the  "Today's Chicago Woman" Hall of Fame.

Carla received her Bachelor of Arts in political science as well as her Juris Doctor from DePaul University. She is a member of the Chicago, Illinois and American, and Justinian Bar Associations. She is a founding member of the ISBA Fellows, an ABA Fellow, and a past Chairman of the Illinois State Bar Young Lawyers.