Gustavo Giraldo, Jacobs Engineering Small Business Contracts Administrator, and a team member of Connect Chicago Alliance, a Joint Venture of four engineering firms responsible for providing project management services to the city’s Department of Aviation’s $8.5 Billion ORD21 upgrade and expansion initiative of O’Hare airport.

Previously, beginning in December 2011, Mr. Giraldo served as the first Chief of Diversity and Strategic Development for the Illinois Tollway, retiring from the post in March 2019. Mr. Giraldo’s key responsibility was assisting and promoting diverse business participation and increasing workforce diversity on the Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois. Before joining the Tollway, Mr. Giraldo worked for the city of Chicago for 25 years. He oversaw the procurement of capital development projects and architectural and engineering contracts and implemented workforce development initiatives. 

Mr. Giraldo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from National Louis University in bilingual multicultural education and is an Executive Scholar graduate from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Mr. Giraldo currently serves as a mayoral appointment on the City of Chicago Affirmative Action Advisory Board. He was recognized in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 by NegociosNow in the magazine’s list of “Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago.” He has also been honored for his leadership on issues of economic equity, diversity and inclusion by the Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Elite Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Network, the Construction Industry Conference, the Federation of Women Contractors, Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, the Women Business Development Center and the Women’s Transportation Seminar. Mr. Giraldo is 2002 a fellow of the Leadership Greater Chicago.