Publicity Club of Chicago to Honor Pete Wentz with Lifetime Achievement Award at 68th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards
CHICAGO, IL – August 28, 2026 – The Publicity Club of Chicago (PCC) is proud to announce that Pete Wentz will receive its Lifetime Achievement Award at the 68th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards, taking place on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
For more than four decades, Wentz has built a distinguished career spanning law, corporate leadership, higher education and strategic communications. A lawyer by training and a longtime leader at APCO, he is nationally recognized for his expertise in corporate reputation, crisis management, financial communications and litigation communications.
Throughout his career, Wentz has served as a trusted counselor to some of the world’s best-known companies, brands and institutions as they navigated complex and consequential challenges. His work has included crisis and reputation counsel involving executive misconduct, class-action litigation, antitrust allegations, bankruptcy, mergers and acquisitions, and other situations in which legal, business and communications considerations intersect.
“Pete has helped define the practice of strategic and crisis communications,” said Anne Marie Mitchell, co-president of the Publicity Club of Chicago. “His colleagues and clients alike describe his ability to bring together legal judgment, communications strategy and a deep understanding of organizational leadership as second to none. Just as importantly, Pete has generously shared his expertise with students and the next generation of professionals. PCC is proud to recognize his extraordinary career and lasting influence with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Before joining APCO, Wentz spent nearly 20 years as vice president and general counsel of a major consumer products company. He later served as an associate dean at Northwestern University School of Law, now Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. At APCO, he has held senior leadership roles in the firm’s Chicago office and its Crisis, Issues & Litigation practice.
Wentz has made education and mentorship an important part of his career. He teaches crisis management and communications to future business and legal leaders, helping students understand how organizations can prepare for and respond to situations that place their reputations, relationships and long-term futures at risk.
"I am deeply honored to receive the Publicity Club of Chicago’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Wentz. “I have enjoyed and valued counseling clients and working in the vibrant Chicago public relations community. This award is also a testament to the contributions made by my APCO colleagues both to their clients and to the larger community as well.”
About the Publicity Club of Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor presented by the Publicity Club of Chicago, recognizing an individual who has made an extraordinary and lasting impact on the communications, marketing or public relations fields. The prestigious award celebrates a career defined by exceptional leadership, innovation and contributions that have significantly advanced the industry.
About the Publicity Club of Chicago and the Golden Trumpet Awards
Since its establishment in 1941, the Publicity Club of Chicago has served as a professional home for individuals working in communications, marketing and public relations. For more than six decades, PCC has recognized outstanding achievements in these fields through the prestigious Golden Trumpet Awards, which stand as a hallmark of distinction in the Midwest and beyond.
The 68th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards will take place Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Tickets and additional information will be available at publicity.org.