As part of Chicago Latino Network’s 2026 vision, we’re proud to continue 5 Questions—a leadership series featuring voices shaping Chicago’s business, civic, and cultural landscape.
Each installment invites a respected leader to respond to five thoughtful questions, creating space for insight, reflection, and meaningful dialogue with our network of professionals, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers.
Rather than soundbites, 5 Questions is designed to be thoughtful, accessible, and enduring — spotlighting leadership philosophy, decision-making, and lessons learned that resonate beyond a single moment.
This week, we feature a leader shaping how Chicago is seen—and experienced—around the world.
Our Featured Leader Lisa Nucci
Chief Marketing Officer, Choose Chicago
Lisa Nucci serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Choose Chicago, where she leads the city’s global brand strategy—shaping how Chicago is positioned, experienced, and celebrated on the world stage. In this role, Lisa drives integrated marketing efforts that elevate Chicago’s reputation as a premier destination while supporting tourism, economic growth, and the broader cultural ecosystem that defines the city.
With a career spanning sports, nonprofit, and civic organizations—including leadership roles with the Chicago Bulls and United Way—Lisa brings a dynamic and deeply collaborative approach to storytelling, brand building, and audience engagement. Her work reflects a consistent focus on creating meaningful connections between institutions and the communities they serve, while amplifying the narratives that make Chicago one of the most compelling cities in the world.
In this edition of 5 Questions, Lisa reflects on the power of storytelling in shaping perception, the evolving role of marketing in driving economic and cultural impact, and what it takes to build authentic connections in an increasingly competitive landscape.
As a leader at the forefront of Chicago’s brand and voice, Lisa offers insights on aligning strategy with purpose, elevating narratives that resonate across diverse audiences, and creating experiences that connect locally and globally—reminding us that the most impactful storytelling is rooted in authenticity, collaboration, and a deep understanding of place.
1. Chicago is more than a destination, it’s an identity. As CMO of Choose Chicago, how do you balance marketing the city to the world while honoring the lived experiences, neighborhoods, and communities that make Chicago what it is?
I start from the premise that Chicagoans are the brand—our job is to amplify what’s already true across our neighborhoods; it’s not to invent a narrative and try to force it. Practically, that means listening first, collaborating widely, and making sure our global marketing points visitors toward authentic experiences and perspectives that benefit communities throughout our destination. Our “Never Done. Never Outdone.” campaign was developed through thousands of hours of listening sessions and one-on-one interviews with community stakeholders. And our “All for the Love of Chicago” campaign started as a platform for visitors and residents to share their love for our city in meaningful, authentic ways that resonate with social audiences. It’s a more complex approach to engage communities and residents in telling our story rather than doing it ourselves in a silo—but the results will ultimately be far stronger because of it.
2. You’ve led brand strategy across sports, nonprofits, and now an entire city. What lessons about leadership and decision-making have translated across those very different platforms. What changed once the “brand” became Chicago itself?
Across every sector, the leadership constants are the same: clarity of purpose, disciplined prioritization, and consistency. You can’t chase every idea, and you have to make decisions that ladder up to a clear strategy. My time working in professional sports with the Chicago Bulls taught me pace and accountability; brands live in real time, and you learn to build alignment fast while still protecting the long-term reputation. What changed with Chicago is the scale and stewardship. Here, we represent millions of people across 77 neighborhoods. The “win” isn’t just attention—it’s civic pride, trust, and real impact for residents and the visitor economy.
3. Destination marketing sits at the intersection of economics, culture, and civic trust. How do you think about responsibility when shaping narratives that influence tourism, investment, and perception, especially during moments of national or global scrutiny?
I think we have two primary responsibilities: authentic storytelling (grounded in the real Chicago) and economic stewardship (driving visitation that supports jobs and local businesses). During moments of national or global scrutiny, we don’t pretend challenges don’t exist, but we refuse to let a single narrative define us. We stay focused on culture, people, and the reasons visitors return again and again. We also emphasize that Chicago is a welcoming global city, and we work closely with partners and communities to ensure what we project externally matches how we show up locally.
4. Much of your work requires alignment across stakeholders with competing priorities. When consensus isn’t possible, how do you decide what to stand firm on, and what to evolve, as a leader?
I stay firm on the non-negotiables: accuracy, respect, and community grounding. If the work doesn’t reflect Chicago authentically or responsibly, we don’t do it. I’ll evolve on tactics like channels, creative, pacing, or even campaign emphasis based on what we’re learning from residents, visitors, and performance data. When priorities conflict, I come back to the question of what best serves Chicago in the long term and let that be my north star.
5. For women building careers in marketing, storytelling, or place-based leadership, What mindset or practice has been most critical to sustaining influence, credibility, and impact over time?
Two things: be relentlessly prepared (know your audience, your data, your story) and be anchored in purpose. Credibility compounds when people trust both your rigor and your intent. It’s also important to invest in relationships, not transactions—especially in place-based work, where progress depends on sustained collaborations and trust over time. And lift other voices as you lead. Knowing when and how to recognize and implement the talent around you is an invaluable skill to cultivate throughout your career.
5 Questions is part of CLN’s ongoing effort to bring forward voices shaping our communities and industries.
