President and Chief Executive Officer Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. – Chicago, Illinois
Ellen R. Gordon, President of Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc., was born in New York, attended Vassar College, Wellesley College, received her BA from Brandeis University and attended the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University. She joined Tootsie Roll Industries in 1968 as a member of its Board of Directors. She became Corporate Secretary in 1974 and Vice President, Product Development and Quality Assurance of that same year. In 1977 she became Senior Vice President and was elected President in 1978. She is also currently serving as a Director of CPC International, Inc., and a Vice President and Director of HDI Investments Corporation. Tootsie Roll Industries’ business, headquartered in Chicago, is the manufacturing and marketing of Tootsie Roll products. They also have operations in Tennessee, New York, Mexico, Canada and the Philippines. Some recent acquisitions include Warner-Lambert, the Charms Company and Cella’s Confections. Mrs. Gordon’s many outside activities include serving on numerous councils and advisory boards for Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Stanford University and Northwestern University. She serves as a trustee and member of the Committee for Economic Development and serves as a Director of the National Confectioners Association. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Committee of 200, of which she was a founding member, served as President from 1987 through 1989 and recently served as the Chairman of the Committee of 200 Foundation. “Role models are so very important … and often their names are Mom and Dad.”
