Kathy Vrabeck elected to chair DePauw Board of Trustees

Kathy Vrabeck, senior client partner with Korn Ferry and a 1985 graduate of DePauw University, is the new chairman of the university's Board of Trustees.

Elected at this week's spring meeting of the board, Vrabeck succeeds 1984 grad Marshall W. Reavis IV, founder and chief executive officer of SVM LP and board chairman since May 2014. Like Reavis, Vrabeck has been elected to a four-year term.

A French and economics major at DePauw, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was awarded the Walker Cup, Kathy Patterson Vrabeck earned her M.B.A. from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

She has held leadership roles at major game and film makers, including Activision, Electronic Arts and Legendary Pictures, and has led digital entertainment efforts in the fastest-growing segments of the market -- mobile, online, social networking and e-commerce.

Vrabeck was included on a Hollywood Reporter list of the "100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment" and was profiled by Business Week as one of "25 Up and Coming Media Executives." Her early career included marketing, sales, and finance positions with ConAgra, Pillsbury, Quaker Oats and Eli Lilly & Co.

A trustee of DePauw since 2007, Vrabeck chaired the committee that led the search for DePauw's 20th president, D. Mark McCoy.

"It is both an honor and a privilege to assume this role, and I am committed to making this college I love and support an even greater institution," Vrabeck said. "I also want to thank Marshall for his steady and insightful leadership over the past four years. I look forward to working with him, fellow board members, and the entire DePauw community to build upon the life-changing programs and great traditions that we share."

"The 'uncommon success' of DePauw graduates means we have a very deep pool to draw from as we seek individuals to step up and help us make this great college even more distinctive," President McCoy stated.

"Kathy brings an impressive record of leadership and vision to board chair position," McCoy added. "I'm excited to work with her even more closely in her new role, and I thank Marshall for the energy, dedication and love he has injected into the board and to DePauw as a whole. These are volunteer commitments and often require large dedications of time and talent. DePauw is a better place because of what thousands of alumni -- in a variety of ways -- give back to their alma mater."