Melissa Bean. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)

By Becky Yerak and Melissa Harris | Melissa Bean, the Barrington Democrat recently ousted from her U.S. House seat after three terms, has been hired as the new chief executive of the Executives’ Club of Chicago.

Before entering the world of politics, Bean worked in sales and management for high-tech companies, including a Motorola unit, Nortel and Arrow Electronics. She later started her own consulting firm to the tech industry, advising clients that included Anixter, Intel and Microsoft. She was elected to Congress in 2004.

Bean replaces Kaarina Koskenalusta, who resigned from the business forum last October after 25 years at the helm. Get the full story »