Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund Deputy Executive Director Mary Cavallaro, has been recognized byCrain’s Chicago Business as a 2020 Notable Woman Executive Over 50. Those who made the 2020 list were nominated for consideration by the Crain’s Chicago Business editorial team, and those who met the requirements and were deemed "notable" by the team were selected to be featured.

According to Crain’s Chicago Business, “Women reaching the highest levels of business remains a work in progress. A generation ago, women in the C-suite were a novelty and, before that, they were few and far between. Despite progress, women are still scarce among senior leaders, according to a 2018 report by nonprofit group Catalyst. Only 4.8 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and women account for less than a quarter of senior roles globally.”

As Deputy Executive Director, Cavallaro provides operational leadership and strategic direction to critical non-investment departments, including member services, benefits, accounting/finance, procurement, information technology, human resources, communications, and office services. She serves as the primary advisor to the Executive Director. 

Cavallaro is a confident leader with a strong ability to solve complex problems and create positive outcomes through strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts with board members, stakeholders, and senior leadership. She has a track record of success in process improvement, leading numerous business initiatives to streamline operations, improve data management and modernize services for both members and contributing employers. She has been instrumental in stabilizing the retiree health insurance program and reducing retiree health insurance costs while maintaining a high quality and sustainable program.