ROCKY WIRTZ
CHAIRMAN

W. Rockwell (Rocky) Wirtz was named chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks and president of Wirtz Corporation on Oct. 5, 2007, following the passing of his father, William W. Wirtz, who served as president of the club for 41 years. In his role as chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks, he will oversee all aspects of the club’s operations with one goal in mind: winning a Stanley Cup championship.

When the Wirtz family purchased the Chicago Blackhawks in 1954, he was just two years old. “Rocky,” as he is commonly called by family, friends and fans, grew up within the walls of the storied Chicago Stadium.

Along with the Chicago Blackhawks, Rocky’s role as president of Wirtz Corporation extends to a vast array of businesses, including Wirtz Beverage Group, a leading national distributor of the world’s top luxury and premium wine, spirits and beer brands. The company proudly represents those products in a growing list of markets that presently include Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and Wisconsin. The company, headquartered in Chicago, employs more than 3,000 professionals nationally. In Illinois, Wirtz Beverage Group’s Judge & Dolph, LLC is the state’s leading wine and spirits distributor. 

Rocky oversees Wirtz Corporation’s commercial and residential real estate companies, an insurance company and banks in Illinois and Florida. Rocky is also the co-chairman of the Executive Committee of the United Center along with Jerry Reinsdorf.

Continuing his family’s commitment, Rocky is involved with numerous civic and charitable organizations as well as being active in fundraising endeavors. His dedication and commitment to Chicago Blackhawk Charities is unwavering. Founded by his late father, Blackhawk Charities has donated millions of dollars to organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, Cathedral Shelter, the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois, Misericordia Home, Blackhawk Alumni Scholarship Fund and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, and continues to provide resources to those in need.

A former trustee of Northwestern University, he established the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Endowment for Visiting Artists at Northwestern in honor of his grandmother. In 2009, Rocky will serve as Chairman of Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a national trade organization representing the wholesale tier of the wine and spirits industry. Rocky is also a former trustee of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois.

Rocky earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Northwestern University in 1975. He and his wife, Marilyn, reside in the northern suburbs. He has three children: Daniel, Hillary and Kendall; and Marilyn has one daughter, Elizabeth.