A former journalist and media executive, Joyce Winnecke advises businesses and non-profit organizations on strategy, communications and issues management.

Joyce began her journalism career as a high school student writing obituaries for her hometown newspaper. Committed to values-based leadership in a vital and fast-changing industry, she held senior positions at the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, rising to President of Tribune Content Agency.

She is Immediate Past President of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago and recent Past President of International Women’s Forum Chicago. She serves on the board of WITS - Working in the Schools, the largest independent provider of literacy services for Chicago Public Schools. She is on the board of St. Laurence High School, a leadership-focused private institution serving primarily scholarship students.

Joyce’s background is a rare combination of journalism, P&L responsibility, policy, audience engagement, corporate communications and issues management.

She has led large teams and complex operations; worked with senior executives and boards of directors; and developed products and narratives to burnish brands, manage issues, deepen engagement and create new revenue.

As President of Tribune Content, Joyce reversed a 10-year decline for the 100-year-old syndication and licensing business. As Vice President and Associate Editor of the Chicago Tribune, Joyce helped engineer the digital transformation and develop new business models.

As Managing Editor, Executive News Editor and Metro Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, Joyce directed an award-winning newsroom team, led business operations and negotiated union contracts.

She was City Editor at the Indianapolis Star, Washington correspondent for Scripps Howard News Service; and reporter, Assistant City Editor and Features Editor in her hometown of Evansville, Ind.

For Scripps Howard News Service, Joyce wrote a weekly syndicated column on food and cooking for eight years.

In the global business events industry, she was Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at PCMA, leading reorganization, brand strategy and signature events.

Throughout her career, Joyce has worked to champion women. She built creative, respectful and disciplined work settings with emphasis on collaboration and communication.

Joyce holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She earned a certificate in Corporate Governance: Effectiveness and Accountability in the Boardroom from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Southern Indiana.

She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Club. She is a member and former director of The Chicago Network. She served 10 years on the President’s Advisory Council at Governors State University.

Joyce lives with her husband George Houlihan in downtown Chicago. Her daughter Grace recently returned to Chicago to begin work on a Ph.D.