Craig Wortmann

Craig Wortmann is the Founder and Academic Director of the Kellogg Sales Institute (KSI). The Institute defines sales as “helping people make progress in their lives” and thus everything we do is in the service of helping people become both magnetic and unstoppable in their pursuit of progress…for themselves and for everyone they come across.

Craig is a Clinical Professor of Marketing and his teaching covers a wide range of topics based on his experiences as a professional salesperson, CEO, founder, entrepreneur and investor. In all of his teaching - from massive online courses to MBA and Executive MBA classrooms - Craig attempts to create immersive experiences that help people develop into magnetic leaders who drive predictably consistent high growth, for themselves and their organizations. Craig joined the Kellogg faculty in 2017 after almost a decade teaching at Chicago Booth.

Teaching topics include:

• High Performance Selling
• Building a Strong, Positive and Powerful Sales Culture
• Sales Leadership
• Entrepreneurship
• Leadership
• Management
• Coaching
• Design Thinking
• Prototyping
• Communications
• Presenting With Panache
• Storytelling
• Writing
• Networking
• Life Hacks
• Intentional Practice
• Habit Development

Awards & Recognition

Craig is an award-winning course designer and professor, having won multiple teaching awards at two of the top 10 business schools in the world; Chicago Booth and now Kellogg.

• In 2008, his Entrepreneurial Selling MBA course was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the top ten courses in the United States
• In 2012, Craig was awarded the “Faculty Excellence” Award given by the Chicago Booth students to the one professor who had the most impact on them
• In 2019, Craig was named on Chicago Inno’s “50 on Fire” list for his contributions as a thought leader in entrepreneurship and innovation in the Chicago Tech community
• Crain’s named Craig to the “Crain’s Tech 50” list in 2019
• Since joining the Kellogg family, Craig has won the “Kellogg Executive MBA Outstanding Teaching Award” consecutively in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
• In 2020, Kellogg awarded Craig the “Sydney J. Levy Teaching Award” for teaching excellence
• And in our virtual world, Kellogg’s students have often been quoted as saying; “Craig Wortmann is the gold standard in virtual learning”

Research Interests

• Wortmann, Craig. "What's your Story?" : using stories to ignite performance and be more successful. Kaplan, 2006. Print.

Education

• MBA, 1995, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Academic Positions

• Clinical Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Kellogg Innovation & Entrpreneurship Initiative, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2017-present
• Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, 2012-2016
• Adjunct Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, 2008-2011

Professional Experience

• CEO, Sales Engine, Inc., 2008-present
• President & CEO, Cleargauge, 2009-2009
• President & CEO, Wisdomtools, Inc., 2000-2008
• Relationship Manager, The Forum Corporation, 1997-2000
• Senior Sales Executive, Private Label Credit Services, SPS Payment Systems, Inc., 1994-1996
• IBM Agent, Manufacturing Specialist, Whittman-Hart, LP, 1991-1994
• IBM Marketing Representative, Mid-range Systems, IBM Corporation, 1989-1991
• Legislative Correspondent & Intern Coordinator to Congressman James H. Scheuer, U.S. House of Representatives, 1988-1989

Awards

• Sydney J. Levy Teaching Award, 2019-2020
• Crain's Chicago Business "Tech 50", 2019
• EMBA Outstanding Professor Award, 2019-2020, 2019-2020
• Chicago Inno 2019 50 on Fire Civic and Education: Craig Wortmann, Professor, Kellogg School of Management, Chicago Innovation Awards, 2019
• EMBA Outstanding Professor Award, 2019-2020
• EMBA Outstanding Professor Award, 2017-2018