Barry F. Sullivan hasn't been afraid of handling "hot potatoes" since the former New Yorker took the helm of the First National Bank of Chicago 9 1/2 years ago.

Over the years, Sullivan also has taken a leading role in the push for public school reform, the Big Shoulders program of corporate aid for inner city Catholic schools, an overhaul of Chicago's budget and operations, planning for a new international terminal at O'Hare International Airport and a proposed West Side stadium for the Chicago Bears, among many other projects.

"I feel good about Chicago's prospects in the 1990s," Sullivan says. "We're in good shape. I'm also optimistic about the Midwest."