Chicago Tribune Co./Tribune Publishing
Chicago, Ill.
Tony Hunter is president, publisher and CEO of Chicago Tribune Company, a media and business services company with a print and digital portfolio including the Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, RedEye, Hoy, TribLocal and Chicago Magazine. Recognized for leading a far-reaching culture change and fast transformation of a traditional newspaper company into one of the nation’s most diversified innovative media entities, Hunter often is asked to speak on turnaround management.
Since taking over the company's leadership in September 2008, Hunter has overseen a strategy to diversify into digital media and business services channels while also reasserting Chicago Tribune’s role as leading citizen of Illinois.
Hunter previously served as senior vice president/circulation and operations for Chicago Tribune, a position he took in 2007. He was responsible for circulation, production and technology as well as marketing strategy, customer acquisition/retention, manufacturing and distribution. He secured an unprecedented distribution agreement with the Sun Times News Group to distribute the cross-town rival Chicago Sun-Times. As Chicago Tribune's vice president/operations from 2003 to 2007, he led two major expansions at the newspaper's near-west side "Freedom Center" printing plant: to expand color printing capacity and improve the targeting of preprinted advertising inserts.
Hunter joined Chicago Tribune in 1994 as manager/circulation planning and analysis. During his tenure in circulation, he led development of the pricing and distribution strategies for the RedEye launch. Prior to joining Chicago Tribune, Hunter worked for the Audit Bureau of Circulation from 1984 to 1994, serving as Director of Field Auditing-Newspapers and a variety of auditing positions.
A native of Calumet City, Illinois, Hunter holds a MBA in leadership and organizational development from DePaul University and a BA in accounting, business administration and economics from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.