Welcome to the Board Jo Trahms

Friends of the Chicago River is pleased to welcome Jo Trahms, director at William Blair, to Friends’ Board of Directors. At William Blair, Trahms provides investment banking advisory services to companies within the environmental services sector. She is also at the forefront of efforts to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into William Blair’s transactions across sectors and in building relationships with a growing list of sustainability and ESG focused investors. She joined William Blair’s investment banking team in 2014, where she has been based in Chicago and in London.

An alum of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, Trahms holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Prior to William Blair, she worked for Lemhi Ventures and Target.

"Serving on the board of Friends of the Chicago River is an exciting opportunity to combine my professional expertise with an organization that is action-orientated for the improvement and protection of the river system, which is a key part of the environment where I live and work,” said Trahms. “The Clean Water Act was pivotal in the creation of the of the environmental services industry, so it influences much of my professional work and the work of most of my clients.”

William Blair is a longtime supporter of the Big Fish Ball and is a Creek Sponsor of Chicago River Day.