Wheeler Coleman

Wheeler Coleman is the CEO and founder of Executive Consultants United (EC-United), a nationally certified MBE technology firm specializing in delivering innovative professional services, technology and workforce labor solutions. Under Wheeler’s leadership, EC-United has experienced exponential growth and has been recognized as one of the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council’s (NMSDC) Fast 50 Top Growing MBEs and is one of twelve organizations in Microsoft’s Black Partner Growth Initiative. EC-United is helping Fortune 100 companies, as well as local nonprofit clients, transform their businesses and strategically grow their impact.

Wheeler has more than three decades of IT experience and is a transformational leader and a turnaround Chief Information Officer (CIO). His strengths include streamlining operations, driving business growth and leading strategic development to leverage existing and emerging technology. Wheeler began his career as a software developer at HCSC and progressed steadily through management. He held many leadership positions before becoming the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for five years, where he was responsible for managing a $756 million IT budget, reducing IT costs by $155 million and creating enterprise-wide technology strategies and standards.

Wheeler was recruited and became the Senior Vice President and CIO at Lifetime Health Care Companies, the largest health insurance company in upstate New York, where he turned around the company’s IT operations, successfully preparing them for administration of the Affordable Care Act. In 2014, he joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as Senior Vice President and CIO. He led the strategic development and ongoing IT operations, serving more than 5.8 million members in the Commercial, Medicare Advantage and HMO line of businesses. At BCBSM, Wheeler implemented several turnaround programs, including a $31 million IT budget reduction initiative in his first full year with the company.

Deeply committed to community engagement and education, Wheeler is involved in several charitable nonprofit organizations, including the Chicago MSDC, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, the Special Olympics of Illinois, Western Governors University, and the Northern Illinois University’s Foundation Board. In 2012, Wheeler was appointed to Northern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees by Governor Pat Quinn where he served for seven years and became the Board Chair for two terms. Wheeler received a B.S. in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He resides in Chicago and is married with two adult children.