Sharon Sutker McGowan

Sharon Sutker McGowan has more than 25 years of experience as a writer, editor and entrepreneur. She specializes in writing, editing and media/presentation training. She has been a communications consultant for the Center for High Performance.

Sharon has extensive business writing experience for internal and external audiences. In 2004, she wrote Contagious Success (Portfolio, New York City, 2004) with author Susan Lucia Annunzio. Her experience in internal communications includes reporting and writing newsletters to reinforce desired behaviors in companies undergoing cultural transformation, including CCH, GATX, Amoco, ETS and Desotech.

Sharon began her career as managing editor of The Chicago Reporter, an award-winning monthly investigative publication on urban affairs. She went on to work as assistant news director/managing editor at WBBM-AM Radio and assignment manager at WBBM-TV.

She has won numerous journalism awards, including a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club and a Jacob Scher Award from Women in Communications. She was a contributing writer for The Era of Digital Disruptions: Exploring the Next Technology Wave, which won The Crystal Award of Excellence in the Communicator Awards 2000 Print Media competition.

Sharon has been an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism since 1985. She also has 18 years of experience conducting media spokesperson, presentation and crisis communications training.

Sharon earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.