Keating Crown

Survivor

Principal, Sterling Bay Companies 

Keating is a Managing Principal at Sterling Bay in Chicago, where he is primarily focused on new acquisitions and development, as well as strategic capital pursuits and relationships. He also oversees Sterling Bay’s retail merchandising portfolio and property management. Prior to Sterling Bay, Crown was Director of Development for Tishman Speyer in New York City and San Francisco. Before joining Tishman Speyer, he worked at Aon Corporation as an associate in the financial services group.

On September 11, 2001, Crown was in his office on the 100th floor of the South Tower when the North Tower was hit. As he attempted to evacuate the building, he reached the 78th floor when an airplane hit the South Tower from floors 78–84. He was fortunate to survive the impact and able to find his way to the stairwell. Despite his injuries, he made it down to the ground level where he was evacuated and taken to a hospital.

AON Corporation lost 176 people on 9/11, seven of whom were in the financial services group.

In addition to his role as a Founding Trustee of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Board, he serves as Chair of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company Board of Trustees. He is also on the Board of Directors for Crown Family Philanthropies, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, and the Northwestern Memorial Foundation. Keating earned a BA from Duke University and a JD-MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Pritzker School of Law.