One of the best ambassadors for the Windy City is none other than CHARLIE BESSER. Even before staking his claim as President & CEO of Intersport, Besser made Chicago his home and raised his five children there. He will spend this Father’s Day weekend relishing in the glory of visits from four of his kids and getting some much-needed time on the greens.
HITTING THE LINKS: I played college golf, so golf is my favorite sport to play and I am playing in a golf tournament Friday afternoon. I’m playing with the guy who delivered all five of my children. I’m playing at Conway Farms in Lake Forrest, Illinois.
HAPPY HOUR: Immediately thereafter I’m coming back down, there’s a television network executive ... it’s ROB CORREA who is the Senior VP of Programming at CBS. He and his son DAVID. We’re going to probably catch a drink at Tavern on Rush, which is maybe the number one people-watching place in Chicago. It’s on Rush Street, and in the evenings in the summer -- especially on Friday nights -- it is crazy good people watching.
THE THINKING MAN: On Saturdays, I just sort of have a natural tendency to get up early before everyone else gets up and I go to my library and I sort of sit and think and read and think about what has happened over the prior week and make notes to myself, maybe even catch up on some e-mails. ... I will identify articles and stories that I want to really think about. I am an avid reader of the Harvard Business Review, and I could do nothing but read the Harvard Business Review all day long. There are so many great articles about business management and leadership.
KODAK MOMENT: I make sure I get in a long workout every Saturday and every Sunday. I spend time on the treadmill. I spend time on the StairMaster. I spend time lifting weights. When the weather is great we go out along the lake, which is fantastic. Running along the lakefront in Chicago is one of the most beautiful scenes in all of America.
TWENTY-TWO YEARS STRONG: Saturday is the second day of the golf tournament and it is also my wedding anniversary. The evidence of the fact that my bride is my soul mate and best friend? She is willing to come back to the golf club for the post-tournament dinner ... on our anniversary. She’s doing it under duress (laughs), but it’s a demonstration of her true friendship.
QUALITY TIME: The (Father's Day) tradition is (my kids) will greet me with breakfast, which is bagels and cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, salmon. Stuff like that which I love. ... I’m going to play golf in the morning with my son, who plays on his high school golf team. We’ll go right back up to Conway Farms, so it’s kind of a weekend at Conway Farms. In the afternoon the entire family (all three daughters and son) takes a walk through the neighborhood and along the lake. Sunday evening we’re going to top it off by going to the Cubs-Red Sox game at Wrigley Field.
