Advisory Board Members
Mary McAleese
Board Chair; President of Ireland (1997-2011)
Mary McAleese served as the eighth president of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. Prior to her distinguished work as a public servant, she held several positions in higher education. McAleese, who was Ireland's second female president and the first born in Northern Ireland, described the theme of her presidency as “Building Bridges,” which was reflected in her efforts towards reconciliation and peace building with Northern Ireland. An award-winning Catholic academic and author, she holds a licentiate and doctorate in Canon law and serves as chancellor of Trinity College Dublin and professor of children, law, and religion at the University of Glasgow.
Adam Ansari
Senior Attorney, Clark Hill
Adam M. Ansari is a senior attorney in the Tax & Estate Planning group of Clark Hill PLC's Chicago office, where he provides planning advice to individuals, families, business owners, and financial institutions. His practice focuses on private client matters with a particular focus on taxation, estate planning, and the representation of privately held businesses. While his professional experience was instrumental in the planning and formation of the Ansari Institute, his guidance and consultation with his parents, Rafat and Zoreen Ansari, importantly helped solidify the institute’s mission for peace and advancement for the common good of all people.
Azza Karam
President and CEO of Lead Integrity; UN Secretary-General, High Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism
Azza Karam is founding President and CEO of Lead Integrity, a global consultancy and management company with a Roster of professional women of faith in all spheres of life. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of World Religions (Chicago, USA), the Temple of Understanding (NY, USA) the Royal Interfaith Institute (Amman, Jordan), as well as International Alert (London, UK). She has over three decades of service in international development, humanitarian, peacebuilding and interfaith work, including as a Senior Advisor at the United Nations; as Secretary General of Religions for Peace; and President and CEO of the Women's Learning Partnership. She has taught in several universities around the world, and published in multiple languages. She is named as one of the The Muslim 500/The World's Most Influential Muslims.
Tim Schlindwein
Managing Principal, Schlindwein Associates
An alumus of Notre Dame, Tim Schlindwein has more than 50 years of experience in the investment management industry. He serves as Schlindwein Associates’ managing principal, chief investment officer, and chief compliance officer. Prior to forming Schlindwein Associates, LLC in 1995, Schlindwein spent 20 years with the Chicago investment counsel firm of Stein Roe & Farnham, progressing from portfolio manager to chairman and chief executive officer. Over the years, he has traveled to Eastern Europe and China as well as Israel, where he has served on the board of governors for Tel Aviv University and supported research cooperation between the university and Notre Dame International.
William Vendley
Vice President, World Religions and Spirituality, the Fetzer Institute
William Vendley served as the secretary general of Religions for Peace International for 25 years from 1994-2019. He now serves as senior advisor for world religions for the Fetzer Intitute. While at Religions for Peace, Vendley was a member of its World Council, which consists of 60 senior religious leaders from all continents. As secretary general, he coordinated the activities and projects of Religions for Peace’s 90 national and five regional councils. Vendley is a pioneer for the advancement of multi-religious cooperation and an expert in assisting the establishment of multi-religious councils around the world.
Andrea Katter
Executive Vice President, Enterprise Risk Management, Wells Fargo & Company
Andrea Katter manages enterprise risk and risk governance at Wells Fargo. She has had a long career in the financial services industry, including positions in banking and risk, with postings in Paris, London and Toronto. Katter holds a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Her interest in the Keough School, and the Ansari Institute in particular, stems from her interest in international affairs, and a strong sense that much of our international conflict could be mitigated by greater understanding between people of diverse religious beliefs.
Charles W. Katter
Vice President and Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Chuck Katter is vice president and financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, where he has been in practice for 22 years. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1975 and received a master’s degree in business administration at Pennsylvania State University. Prior to opening his practice at Morgan Stanley, Katter held a variety of finance, treasury, pension management, and general management positions with Ford Motor Company and United Technologies Corporation.
Katter is an enthusiastic supporter of the mission of the Keough School and the unique role its graduates can play in global conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and economic development. He is particularly interested in the Ansari Institute and its focus on facilitating the interaction among diverse religious communities. Katter and his wife, Andrea, sponsored an Iraqi student refugee in the US during the Iraq War, and through him have come to understand the devastation that can result from conflict rooted in religious and political divisions.