Eric E. Whitaker

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker is physician-investor who is chairman of several companies including TWG Partners, LLC. He and his partner co-founded Symphonix Health Holdings, LLC and grew it to over 430,000 clients in 48 states over a three-year premium period. They sold Symphonix in January 2016 and investors made 15 times their money with an IRR of 280.

Until March 2012, Dr. Whitaker was the executive vice president, strategic affiliations and associate dean of community-based research at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He was also an operating advisor for Nautic Partners, a middle market private equity fund, and sat on the boards of two of its portfolio companies. He holds Series 7 and 63 licenses as well as being licensed for medicine in the State of Illinois.

Dr. Whitaker served as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health until October 2007. In this capacity, Dr. Whitaker oversaw an agency with a budget of $450 million with over 1,200 employees statewide, as well as three laboratories and seven regional offices.

In 1991, Dr. Whitaker represented the 30,000 members of the American Medical Student Association as its national president while testifying twice before the U.S. Congress regarding national health insurance and minority health issues. In November 2003, he was named as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ Forty under Forty Chicago’s rising stars in business and government.

Dr. Whitaker received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Grinnell College in 1987. In 1993 he received his master’s degree in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health and a medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He also has completed coursework at the Northwestern Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Dr. Whitaker serves on the boards of Grinnell College, the DuSable Museum of African American History and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He formerly served on the boards of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Public Media and the Economic Club of Chicago.