Chicago Living - Relocation Guide 2008 - (Page 70)

➡ business excellence Chi Talk PATRICK SHEA Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales Astellas Pharma US, Inc. Where were you born and raised? Buffalo, N.Y. Where do you currently reside? Lake Forest, Ill. Five things you love about Chicago: 1 Friendly people 2 Proximity to the lake 3 Cultural diversity and architecture 4 Centrally located for travel 5 Great sports town What would you have done differently regarding your relocation? Purchase better winter gear earlier in the season. One would think that a Buffalonian would have had no problems adapting to Chicago winters. Wrong! We had lived in Southern California, where a cold day is in the 50s, for almost four years. I think I was in a bit of denial about the looming winter weather. What advice do you have for other relocating employees? Consider the North Shore for housing—great areas with fantastic access to the city, plus I only have a 15-minute commute to work. The school system has an excellent reputation, and the area reminded us of New England, where we had both spent a considerable amount of time. Also, there is no good season for O’Hare International Airport. I’ve learned to schedule early flights and arrive very early. Or, pay for a car service as it takes a bit of the stress away. Lastly, if you’re driving and are pinched for time, use the valet parking service at O’Hare. It’s a bit more money but helps with time and convenience. Sears Headquarters Driven to Succeed Chicagoland’s economic diversity may surprise you. There’s a lot of truth in the city’s slogan: “Chicago—The City That Works. ” Early on, Chicago got a reputation as a place where you could always find a job if you weren’t afraid to get your hands dirty. Between the railroads and the stockyards, not to mention plenty of old-school manufacturing, Chicago has been the land of opportunity for more than 150 years. Today’s economy is far more diversified. According to World Business Chicago, a nonprofit that recruits companies to the area, the region’s leading sectors include biotech, business services, financial exchanges, manufacturing, nanotechnology, transportation/distribution, telecommunications and—perhaps surprisingly—high tech. Glen Marker, director of research at World Business Chicago, believes that many people underestimate just how much high tech industry the Chicago area contains. “High tech is actually a fairly substantial part of our economy, but it’s not embedded in one niche area and industry like Silicon Valley is, he says. “There’s a lot of high tech in companies that don’t ” traditionally fit in that sector, like our financial exchanges and some of our cutting-edge marketing/pr firms that use sophisticated statistical models. ” 70 chicagol i v i ngmag.com C h i c a g o L i v in g 2008 http://www.chicagolivingmag.com

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Chicago Living - Relocation Guide 2008

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