“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” ~ Robert Frost
Lou Sandoval
Enterprise CEO | Board Director | Value Creation Leader for Private Equity and Founder Led Companies | Keynote Speaker
Lou Sandoval is an experienced CEO, board director, and value creation leader who builds high-performing companies for private equity sponsors and founder-led businesses.
Most recently, Lou served a two-year term as President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, where he repositioned the organization as an independent, future-focused voice for business and strengthened its brand, operations, and statewide influence. That chapter reinforced his ability to align diverse stakeholders, navigate complex policy environments, and advocate for the conditions that allow private enterprise to grow.
Today, Lou is refocused on the private sector. As Founder and Board Chairman of HALO Advisory Group, he partners with private equity firms, family offices, and entrepreneurs to accelerate value creation, drive digital transformation, and professionalize operations in middle market companies. His work spans the energy sector, health tech, fintech, insurtech, martech, SaaS, and advanced services businesses, typically with revenue between $ 2 million and $ 100 million.
Earlier in his career, Lou founded and scaled Karma Yacht Sales into one of the top dealers in North America, led connected vessel innovation at Brunswick Corporation, and was recruited to turn around a distressed B2B SaaS startup, stabilizing the business, extending the runway, and leading a priced equity round that increased valuation by 71 percent.
As an independent corporate board director, Lou chairs the Risk Management Committee and has served on the Wintrust Bank nominating, compensation, and governance committees. He also serves on advisory boards for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, DUX Capital, and several growth-stage companies, bringing a practical operator’s lens to governance and strategy.
Crain’s Chicago Business has recognized Lou as a Notable Latino Leader in 2024. He received the Cuautemoc Leadership Award from NLEI and is a 2025 Daniel Burnham Fellow at Leadership Greater Chicago and 2025 Edgar Fellow at the University of Illinois.
His book Tenacity for Life- Lessons from Life, Business, and the World Around Us is essential for anyone who wants a life and career filled with purpose, meaning, and intention while building resilience by design.
SERVANT LEADER • VALUE CREATOR • BOARD DIRECTOR • AUTHOR • SAILOR • FATHER • HUSBAND
Commentary from Colleagues:
“Lou has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead and drive change across all levels of an organization. An adept business professional and team member, Lou has proven able to deliver results across various team functions and act as a thought leader in the industry. With a focus on technology and how utilizing new ways of thinking and technological implementation can bring value to customers and the industry at large, Lou has leveraged his solid business acumen to build and grow not just a new brand, but a new industry as well” ~ B.N, Chief Operating Officer
Tenacity For Life
By Lou Sandoval-Fig Media Inc
Latinx Business Success
By Frank Carbajal & Jose Morey
Wiley
Tenacity for Life- Lessons In Life, Business And The World Around Us- NOW AVAILABLE!- Fig Media Inc.
Growing up in the shadows of the steel mills on the Southside of Chicago offered Lou Sandoval few opportunities for access to the water. The oldest of four children born to working class parents, Sandoval was raised with strong family values- strong worth ethic, a penchant desire to educate himself and further build upon the solid foundation that his parents set forth for him. Lou considers himself fortunate to have made it ‘out’ of his neighborhood as the opportunities to not have that happen were great. Through his involvement in Scouting, he was afforded additional mentors and role-models that helped him feed his passion for science and it was here that he discovered his love for the water and sailing.
In a unique career trajectory that took him from working in the Healthcare/biotech industry for FORTUNE 100 companies to purchasing and operating his own enterprise, Sandoval has lived his life in thirds. His latest ‘third’ brings him to the field of technology where he currently leads an advisory firm that focuses on coaching clients on growing and scaling their business. His specific area of interest is with Latinx owned technology start-ups. He has applied his leadership skills and business acumen along with a cadre of life skills that have propelled him to having accomplished many ‘firsts’ as a Latino in the business and sporting world.
Sandoval’s career and his life trajectory serve as an inspiration for many. He has gone where there is little representation in the sport of sailing, the marine industry or in the field of technology. His life lessons serve as an inspiration of what is possible and why representation matters. His Tenacity for Life and desire to pay it forward speaks volumes and is an inspiration for everyone.
Latinx Business Success- How Latinx Ingenuity, Innovation, and Tenacity are Driving Some of the World’s Biggest Companies -Wiley 2021
“Creating foundational change in bridging the technical divide will require that Hispanics leverage their collective leadership voice to make sure that companies of all verticals take notice and invest in our communities”
Chapter 1 – Decision Making- Lou Sandoval
Used with permission from the Book Latinx Business Success by Frank Carbajal and Jose Morey by Wiley books.
“Where you are is not who you are. You can’t let the world happen to you You have to happen to the world.”
— Ursula Burns, CEO Xerox
Trailblazer, Servant Leader.
Lou Sandoval strongly believes that it is a privilege, honor and responsibility to be the ‘first’ of anything. While he has been blessed with many firsts, he has also sought to advocate for the inclusion of many like him and open pathways for them to achieve the same success.
Being a servant leader has been his true north in his business, civic and personal life.