Page 1 - Illinois Sig Winter 2016-17

Sigma Chi Fraternity | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Winter 2016-2017
Alumni Relations Office | P.O. Box 80828, Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.illinoissigs.org

From the Donald G. Kane ’80
Housing Corporation Alumni Spotlight:

Dear Brothers, Editor’s Note: For this edition of the newsletter we’re shining the Spotlight on
Don Kane ’80, Senior Managing Director for Dillon Kane Group. From the
eams become great hometown of Harlington, TX, Don came to Illinois as a Kappa Sigma Legacy
T as these five attri- from the Kappa Kappa Chapter. Having grown up in a military family, Don
butes become part of the experienced the world early on while living in Japan for four years. Four Kappa
team culture: Kappas in the family encouraged a Greek residence at Illinois. While an active
1. Communication with Sigma Chi, Don served the chapter as alumni chair, social chair, treasurer
2. Trust and chapter president. After graduation, Don applied his degree in international
business at Price Waterhouse. He was also accepted into Northwestern and
3. Collective earned his MBA. A career with Goldman Sachs spanned for 14 years, sparking
Responsibility an interest in technology and finance. The Dillon Kane Group was formed in
4. Care November 2001. Married now for 33 years, Don and his wife Diane enjoy time
5. Pride with their four children: Whitney, Donald, Charles, and Steven.
Communication among the entire team (House
Corp., chapter, Chapter Advisor, Grand Praetor,
and Mom’s Club) keeps improving. The challenge Why did you choose Illinois for college? in the system. Sigma Chi reflected these trends. We
is to keep the lines of communication connected Although I never lived in Illinois prior to college, saw renewed interest from incoming freshmen, and
as people move in and out of the team – it’s the my father was in the military and maintained worked hard in the recruitment of new pledges.
nature of the “beast.” I am excited about this spring residency in the state. I was attending college on an We emphasized developing balanced and diverse
semester officer lineup – very impressive, responsive, Air Force/NASA engineering scholarship, although classes, which led to strong, close pledge classes. The
and have an attitude of getting things done! I was uncertain about whether I wanted to commit result is many of those alums are still great friends
Trust among team members is a critical element to physics and or engineering. The combination of and have developed into successful individuals in
to helping everyone believe and make the necessary Illinois’ engineering reputation, great alternative many different fields and professions. By the time
commitments to our EX team. If there is trust, academic paths, and the low tuition costs were we graduated, the chapter was thriving and was
integrity, and honesty, we can communicate at a compelling. Tuition was $750 per semester. I was perceived as a leading house on campus.
deeper level.
Collective responsibility is all about the Three the second of four kids going to college; money was After graduation, how did you transition into
Musketeers, “All for one and one for all!” As I an issue. being an entrepreneur?
mentioned in a previous Illinois Sig, “We do not I was accepted into Northwestern’s Kellogg
work with each other but for each other.” MBA program with a one-year deferral after Illinois.
Care – a true team must genuinely care for each In the interim, I worked for Price Waterhouse as an
other, the house, the EX vision, and our three great auditor. Investment banking was a small, boutique
aims. Part of caring is holding brothers accountable. industry at the time and became an area of focus for
Pride – everything we do has our team’s
signature on it. Do nothing detrimental to yourself, my post MBA career. I worked for Goldman Sachs
your chapter, your school, and your family – take in the Investment Banking Division in its Chicago
pride in being a EX and leaving it a better place than office. Hank Paulson hired me, who went on to
when you entered! become Goldman’s CEO and then Secretary of the
Treasury. It was an exciting period – I specialized
So what has been happening:
1. We have committed to putting together a Don at a wedding with friends Allen Schwartz ’81, in financial services and then financial services
House Guide, which will be our “bible” for and Dr. Keith Komnick, Iowa Sig and U of I med technology. There were significant forces shaping
how our chapter operates, responsibilities for school grad. the economy and the financial services industry,
each officer, and a host of processes in order to and we were on the forefront of advising clients
memorialize our house operations How did the chapter grow while you were an on how to navigate and optimize opportunities. I
2. The Group Study Room in the basement has active? was always interested in entrepreneurial activities.
been refurbished and, per the members, a In 1976, when I joined the chapter, the fraternity I started several new businesses inside Goldman,
great addition. system was in a state of transition. The house only which gave me confidence in the ability to formulate
attracted 50 percent of my pledge class during the strategy and drive results. Granted, Goldman is a
3. We will be looking to plan for a Chapter
Room renovation. spring rush period. The others were recruited over firm of elite and talented people, who don’t need to
4. We have built out a cap-ex plan over the next the summer. The early ’70s was a period in which be motivated.
In 1999, the firm gave me the option to
fraternities and sororities were out of favor. The mid
five years, with an ambitious goal to be com-
municated in the near future. to late ’70s saw a resurgence in interest and energy move to Asia to pursue a new opportunity. For
Housing (Continued on Page 3) Kane (Continued on Page 6)