Engineering alumnus Mark Fastabend (BSE 2000 biomedical engineering) has been selected as a member of the Emerging Leaders Class of 2017 of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Fastabend is general manager for a newly launched foodservice equipment division, Prince Castle, within the Marmon Group.

He has spent his career building businesses around innovative solutions that meet the needs of the global market ranging from medical devices to food and beverage ware. Specializing in new product development, Fastabend leads a team of professionals with the unique expertise necessary to grow conceptual ideas into full-scale commercialized businesses. Today, his efforts focus on tailoring solutions to the diverse and specific needs of customers in more than 100 countries including major food service companies like McDonald’s and Restaurant Brands International.  The personalized approach in the international marketplace distinguishes his work across established, mature economies to the leading edge of developing markets.

Fastabend was a 4-year student-athlete and captain of the men’s swimming team while a student at the University of Iowa.

The Emerging Leaders Class of 2017 is spending one year examining key issues that affect the world and impact the global city of Chicago. They will hear from experts on issues such as the global economy, international diplomacy, energy and the environment. In October, they traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with senior government leaders. In addition to meeting regularly as a class, they are working on individual projects with Council experts to examine key global challenges. The cohort of leaders from around Chicago was chosen by an independent selection committee from a highly competitive pool of applicants.

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues.