Paul Lubbers, Class of 2001, is the Senior Vice President for Aon’s Affinity Worldwide business in Chicago. Aon Affinity Worldwide is a division of Aon Corporation that serves people and businesses that have common interests and needs for specialized insurance protection. Using a combination of direct sales, direct marketing, and e-commerce, they strive to match customers and their culture with the right product.

During his two years at Illinois, Paul credits various experiences for preparing him as a business leader. But it was Professor Greg Northcraft's negotiations class that best prepared Paul as an efficacious leader: “In addition to being one of the most useful classes I participated in while at the Illinois MBA, it was also one of the most enjoyable. I use concepts learned from that class frequently in my job today.”

Paul believes that the Illinois MBA prepares students for the dynamic business world by exposing them to an array of business concepts, critical viewpoints, and a diverse body of people. “The Illinois MBA,” he attests, “was especially valuable to me due to the international nature of the student body and the content of the courses. Any given day I may make a conference call to Latin America in the morning, lunch with a client from Japan midday, and then hop on a plane to Moscow for a weeklong conference. The Illinois MBA was exactly the kind of preparation I needed for working in multinational teams.”

When asked what he was most proud of, Paul stated, “serving as the Japanese language interpreter for Aon's founder and Chairman, Patrick G. Ryan.”

When not busy at work, which is rare, Paul finds himself daydreaming while gazing through his office window to the beautiful view of Chicago's Millennium Park. He is also an avid golfer, reader, and traveler.