Catherine Odelbo

After 30 years with Morningstar, Catherine retired in June 2018. As the firm’s first Strategy officer starting in 2012, she was responsible for driving firm value by designing and implementing a strategic planning process; working with the executive team to focus resources on the initiatives and investments that create value; managing all M&A activity, including acquisitions and their integration into the firm; managing firm-to-firm strategic relationships; and measuring results of strategic decisions. Prior to her strategy role, Catherine managed several businesses for the firm, including launching and developing Morningstar’s equity and credit research business, Morningstar.com, the firm’s flagship investment research website, and other products and services built around proprietary intellectual property and technology. Though retired from Morningstar, Catherine is the Morningstar representative on the board of Ellevest, a start-up financial planning and investment advice service oriented to women. Catherine is also a Trustee of the Chicago Architecture Center and a member of the Physical Sciences Division Council of the University of Chicago. She spends hours each week reading topics in astrophysics, quantum mechanics, and information science. A private investor since college, Catherine also spends time researching and making investments, still relying on Morningstar research, of course. She has AB and MBA degrees with several honors from the University of Chicago. She lives in Lincoln Park with her photographer husband, Orjan. They have two college-age children.