Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/101703
"We are fortunate, and we try to teach our kids to think less of themselves, more of others, to get involved, and serve the community." — Diane & Quintin Primo STYLING BY ERICA MILDE FOR FORD ARTISTS THE CONSCIENTIOUS CEOs: UNITED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HOMELESSNESS THIRTY-ONE YEARS AGO, Quintin Primo III walked into a party and saw Diane Jones. "Love at first sight," recalls Quintin. He proposed nine months later. Diane, a graduate of Smith College with dreams of working overseas in global marketing, went off to Harvard Business School, where Quintin had also earned his MBA. They got married between her first and second year—and began to build a very full life together. Quintin, the chairman and CEO of Capri Capital Partners, is celebrating the company's 20th anniversary, with $3.8 billion in real estate assets under management. Diane is the chairman and CEO of IntraLink Global, a nextgeneration marketing and content firm that creatively links content strategy, social media, and technology. Their greatest joint venture ("our ultimate treasure," says Diane) is their children: Franchesca,16, Quintin IV, 11, and Reid, 7. The Primos' Lake Forest home is sprawling, elegant, comfortable, and filled with fabulous art, particularly their collection of works by African-American artists. The ambience reflects who they are: warm, sophisticated, and spiritual. When asked to describe each other in three words, Quintin says of Diane: "determined, beautiful, and brilliant." As Diane is about to provide her take on Quintin, he jumps in with a smile: "Three things about me? Pain. In. Butt." Each had parents who planted the seeds of success at a young age. Diane was raised by a single mom who was determined for her to succeed through hard work and education. Quintin's father, the late Right Reverend Quintin E. Primo Jr., served as the first black bishop of the Episcopalian Church in Chicago and was an outspoken advocate for the rights of minorities, women, and gay people. "[My father's] influence on me was strong, particularly in terms of ethics," Quintin says. "I couldn't break the rules if I tried." How do the Primos balance work, travel, children, and spending time together? "Both of us make it a priority for our kids to feel secure and loved…. We are fortunate, and we try to teach our kids to think less of themselves, more of others, to get involved, and serve the community." The Primos lead by example and are very active in civic and charitable organizations. Closest to their hearts is the Primo Center for Women and Children on Chicago's West Side, a transitional homeless shelter founded in 1978 by Quintin's father. Both Diane and Quintin sit on the All Chicago board, which includes the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness and the Emergency Fund. On June 9, they will be joined by other charities as part of Run Home Chicago: A Race to End Homelessness, to be held at Soldier Field. "Homelessness and poverty are global and disproportionately affect so many people of color," says Quintin. So when life is quiet, what would a fantasy day look like? "Never getting out of my pajamas!" Quintin says. "No responsibilities. Movie, dinner, the simple things—doing nothing, but nothing with my family." MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 092-099_MA_FEAT_Portrait_Winter13.indd 97 97 1/2/13 12:07 PM