Debra Rade founded Rade Consulting LLC as a boutique consulting firm drawing on her unique multidisciplinary experience as a member of the board of directors, c-suite executive and advisor to large global corporations, their boards, and not for profit organizations. She brings a 360 perspective to all projects, innovative yet practical, cognizant of best practices yet enabling clients to be alert to and ahead of the best trends in business for a competitive edge.
Debra served as a non-executive (independent) director on the board of Intertek Group plc, a top FTSE 100 company traded on the London Stock Exchange (2005-2011). Intertek is a global service leader, with more than 35,000 employees, in testing, inspection and certification, headquartered in London, providing services to the oil and gas, electrical and electronic, textile and other industries. She currently serves on the board of Swan Isle Press, an independent 501(c)(3) publishing house, having joined the board in 2008. She currently is also the managing principal at Rade Law LLC.
Debra served as a corporate officer of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (now known as UL LLC), a leading global testing, inspection and certification organization. As a UL officer, she held various leadership roles, including senior vice president, chief legal officer, and chief administrative officer. As CLO, Debra advised the board and executive team on corporate governance, board restructuring, new business opportunities, mergers and acquisitions, and employee benefits issues in addition to leading an active legal department. She personally negotiated numerous national and international acquisitions and was responsible for the establishment of more than 20 international subsidiaries. In her CAO role, Debra was responsible for administrative and corporate operations, including global human resources, government relations, regulatory affairs, sourcing and corporate communications (marketing, internal and external), with additional divisional operational responsibility for e-commerce and commercial publications, as well as quality/safety reporting from the field.
Harvard Business School, Executive Education, Making Corporate Boards Effective
Northwestern University, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, Illinois, Advanced Executive Program
DePaul University College of Law – J.D.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign – B.A. (political science/history)
"Advising the Board of Directors Regarding Oversight of Compliance Programs: MF Global & the Pitfalls of Form Over Function" - 2012 Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute, Practising Law Institute
"Director Orientation and Continuing Education" - 2009 Corporate Compliance Ethics Institute, Practising Law Institute
Debra is a frequent speaker on corporate compliance, ethics and board issues. Additionally, since 1998 she has enjoyed teaching Professional Responsibilities (legal ethics) as Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzer University School of Law each fall semester as part of a joint trial advocacy class.
Presentations include:
Practicing Law Institute Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute 2013
Practicing Law Institute Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute 2012
Practicing Law Institute Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute 2011
Fall Institute 2008, Women Corporate Directors
"Digging for Dirt: Uncovering the Compliance Risks in an Organization," American Bar Association, 2008" "On the Challenges Facing Women on Corporate Boards," Power: Opening Doors for Women® Chicago Annual Dinner 2008
"Advising the Board of Smaller Companies About its Compliance Role," Practicing Law Institute, Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute 2008
"Designing and Advancing Effective Compliance Programs," Practising Law Institute, Corporate Compliance and Ethics Institute 2007
"The View From the GC's Office," American Bar Association, Business Law Annual Meeting 2005
Recipient of the 2013 Sandler Award - America Israel Chamber of Commerce Chicago.
"The Sandler Award, named in honor of Martin Sandler, one of the founders of the AICC, is given to individuals for dedication to the organization's mission of fostering beneficial relationships between Israeli and American corporations and investors. As a past president of the AICC, as well as co-chair of several successful America Israel Business Exchange events in Chicago that introduced Israeli life science, information and homeland security technology companies to US investors and corporation, I was truly honored to be the 2013 recipient of this award."