Ann Dwyer (Photo: WTTW/Chicago Tonight)
Ann Dwyer has been promoted to editor of Crain’s Chicago Business, becoming the first woman to lead the editorial staff in the publication’s 41-year history.
Dwyer, 54, who most recently was managing editor, joined Crain's in 1995 as a copy editor and later moved to the news desk. She succeeds Michael Arndt, who resigned in November after six years as editor.
"Ann is an outstanding, creative editor who comes into this role at the right time in the paper’s evolution," Jim Kirk, publisher and executive editor of Crain's, said in announcing the appointment Wednesday.
"She shares our vision to create the most vibrant digital report in the city, meeting our readers on every platform where they want to read us. While passionate about print, Ann is eager to experiment and will partner with me as we continue to aggressively move forward in the digital space on several fronts," Kirk said.
A native of Oak Park and graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dwyer previously worked for the Chicago Tribune and the Joliet Herald-News.
Here is the text of Kirk’s email to staff:
Folks,
As we’ve discussed in the past, our success is rooted in the great journalism we produce on a daily basis. And producing top-tier work requires strong leadership. That’s why I’m extremely pleased to announce today that Ann Dwyer is being promoted to Editor of CCB effective immediately.
Ann is an outstanding, creative editor who comes into this role at the right time in the paper’s evolution. She shares our vision to create the most vibrant digital report in the city, meeting our readers on every platform where they want to read us. While passionate about print, Ann is eager to experiment and will partner with me as we continue to aggressively move forward in the digital space on several fronts.
Just as important, Ann has proven to be a strong, steady leader who has helped shape a newsroom that is the envy of news organizations throughout the city and beyond.
Ann has been with Crain’s since 1995, starting as a copy editor before moving to the news desk. She oversaw some of our biggest features, including 40 Under 40, Best Places to Work, the Fast 50 and Coolest Offices.
She has also been a great voice and face for our brand with her regular appearances on WBBM-AM’s Noon Business Hour and on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight.’’ She still gets to show off her writing flare as CCB’s main writer of our award-winning editorials the past several years.
In 2016, Ann was promoted to managing editor, and has overseen the daily news operation in digital and print since. She has successfully navigated through some of the most significant changes we’ve seen in our industry over the past few years. Her award catalogue is too thick to put in a memo, but her reporting, editing and headline writing has been honored by the Illinois Press Association, the Illinois Associated Press Editors Association and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, among others.
Please join me in congratulating Ann on this important new role.
Jim