John Kinsella

John Kinsella, who nurtured Leo Burnett's valuable stable of advertising mascots like Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant and the Pillsbury Doughboy as CEO during Chicago's heyday as an advertising industry capital in the 1980s, died Feb. 10 2022. He was 93. John was born in Joliet, Illinois in 1929 to John and Eileen (Baskerville) Kinsella and was the older brother to Tom. He was a graduate of Joliet Catholic High School, the University of Notre Dame (BA, 1950) and DePaul University (MBA, 1952). John started his advertising career in 1954. In 1959, he joined Leo Burnett Company where he served clients and built brands with commitment and creativity for 28 years before retiring as Chairman and CEO in 1987. He also served on the Board of Directors of CenterPoint Properties.