Kourtney Gibson facts for kids

Kourtney Gibson was born on July 5, 1981. She is an important American business leader. She works as the Chief Client Officer and Senior Executive Vice President at a company called TIAA. TIAA helps people save for retirement.

Before joining TIAA, Kourtney was the president of Loop Capital. This was a special kind of bank that helps companies with their money. She also helps guide other companies by being on their boards of directors, like MarketAxess and Viterbo University.

Early Life and School

Kourtney Gibson was born in Racine, Wisconsin. She went to J.I. Case High School there. She was a very good student and even led the cheerleading team.

After high school, she chose to go to the University of Miami. She had offers from other big universities, but she picked Miami.

Education and Learning

Kourtney earned a special business degree, called an MBA, from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She also got a business degree, a BBA, from the University of Miami.

When she first started college, Kourtney thought about becoming a doctor who spoke two languages. But while studying at the University of Miami, she decided that business was her true calling.

Her Career Journey

Kourtney started working at Loop Capital in 1997. This was the same year the company began. She started as an intern, which is like a trainee.

Over the years, she took on many important jobs at Loop Capital. She even led the company's global stock division. In 2015, a business magazine called Crain's Chicago Business named her one of the "40 Under 40" top young leaders.

Becoming a Leader

In 2016, Kourtney became the president of Loop Capital. She took over from one of the company's founders, Albert R. Grace, Jr.

In November 2020, she joined the board of directors for the clothing company Lululemon. In the same year, she also joined the board of MarketAxess, a company that helps people trade bonds.

Working for Fairness

In 2021, Kourtney worked with big companies like Google and Goldman Sachs. They teamed up to help make things more fair for everyone, especially in terms of money and opportunities for different groups of people. This partnership was part of a plan to help reduce the money gap between different racial groups.

Kourtney is often asked to share her ideas about money and new digital money, like cryptocurrency. She has been featured in magazines like Crain's Chicago Business and Markets Insider. She also spoke at a special event for women leaders at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2021. She is also an expert on saving for retirement and has shared her advice in newspapers like The Washington Post.

Leading at TIAA

Kourtney Gibson joined TIAA in June 2022. She is now the Chief Client Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. In this big role, she helps manage a huge amount of money for people's retirement savings. She also creates plans and services for schools, hospitals, and government groups that use TIAA.

In 2024, she was recognized as one of Barron's "100 Most Influential Women in Finance." She also received an award for promoting diversity and fairness in business.

Other Important Work

Kourtney is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago. This is a group where business leaders discuss important economic topics. She also helps with the money decisions for Viterbo University.

She used to be on the board of trustees at the University of Miami. There, she helped make big decisions about the university's future and its investments. She was also part of a group that advises the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on money markets.

Giving Back to the Community

Kourtney Gibson believes in helping others.

In 2017, she gave money to Viterbo University to build the Nola Starling Recital Hall. This hall was named after her mother, who also went to Viterbo University.

In 2013, she started a special scholarship fund at the University of Miami. It's called the Kourtney K. Ratliff Endowed Scholarship Fund. This scholarship helps African-American students from the Midwest who want to study business.

Kourtney is also a board member of the Chicago Scholars Foundation. She used to be its chairman. This foundation helps young people go to college. She is also on the board of the Dibia Dream Foundation, which helps kids through sports and education.

Her Personal Life

Kourtney Gibson is married and has four children. She once said in an interview that her main reasons for working hard are her "faith and family." She feels it's important to be successful so she can help her family and future generations.

Kourtney and her family live in both Charlotte, North Carolina and Chicago, Illinois. She also enjoys running as a hobby.