Chris Leahy

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Chris at a Glance

As chair and chief executive officer, Chris Leahy has led CDW to exceptional market-leading growth, and an evolution from IT reseller to technology orchestrator providing full-stack, full-lifecycle and full-outcomes services and solutions to more than 250,000 businesses, government agencies, educational and philanthropic institutions and healthcare customers.

Previous Roles

Chris is a 20-year veteran of CDW, having held numerous roles prior to serving as chair and CEO since 2019. Prior to becoming CEO, she led all customer-facing units of the company as chief revenue officer, led the international business units as SVP, and served as the company’s first chief legal officer. Prior to joining CDW in 2002, Chris was a corporate partner in the Chicago office of Sidley Austin, an international business law firm.

Community Involvement

Chris’s sense of heartfelt responsibility and belief in a few cornerstone values – hunger, humility, and honesty – were cultivated around the dinner table as she grew up in a large, entrepreneurial family. She has long been a champion for inclusion, empowerment and equity and serves on the boards of several civic and philanthropic organizations. Chris is a Past Chair and current member of the Board of Trustees of Brightpoint, formally known as Children’s Home and Aid, and was a founder and a sponsor of CDW’s Women’s Opportunity Network, a business resource group that actively and strategically supports women’s advancement at CDW.

Education and Board Service

Chris earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. She currently serves on the board of directors for Target Corporation, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Junior Achievement of Chicago and Brown University.