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ATA eNewsletter

December 2009

Board Member Highlight

With the intent of unveiling areas that show us Board members' passion and unique background in the tourism industry, the Board Member Highlight is designed to better familiarize members with the personalities and opinions of key leaders. This month, we are pleased to feature Win Holden, Publisher at Arizona Highways Magazine. 

Win Holden was named the sixth Publisher of Arizona Highways Magazine in May 2000. As Publisher, Mr. Holden leads a diverse group of businesses centered on the world-renowned magazine including book publishing, calendars, e-commerce, new product development, catalog marketing and retailing.

Prior to being named Publisher of Arizona Highways Mr. Holden served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Moses Anshell a full-service marketing communications firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Holden formed his own consulting business, the Win Holden Company, in 1998.

Before forming his own company and joining Moses Anshell, Mr. Holden was General Manager of the Publishing Division of MAC America Communications, Inc. (MAC). He joined MAC in 1992, overseeing the company’s publishing and Internet-related businesses as well as the special products group where he developed the original concept for the New York Times best selling book, “Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean®” with Linda Cobb. He also served as Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of PHOENIX Magazine until MAC sold the publication in December 1998.

Prior to joining MAC, he was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Phillips-Ramsey Advertising & Public Relations in Phoenix (additional offices in San Diego and Los Angeles).  Mr. Holden was an owner of the firm and served on the Board of Directors.

Mr. Holden is a graduate of the School of Communications at Southern Illinois University and pursued advanced certification at the Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies at Northwestern University's Medill School and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He began his advertising and marketing career at Tatham-Laird and Kudner Advertising Chicago in 1971 and became the youngest partner in the history of the firm.  His account experience at TLK included several Procter and Gamble brand assignments, Abbott Laboratories, Libby Foods and Hiram Walker liquor brands.

In 1976, Mr. Holden joined Foote, Cone and Belding Advertising in Chicago and Phoenix as Vice President and Account Supervisor on Armour-Dial established brands and new products. 

A Valley resident since 1980, Mr. Holden was the 2007 inductee into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame and serves as President of the Endowment Board of the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunications. For a decade, he chaired the Phoenix Pride Commission. He is Secretary of the International Regional Magazine Association Board of Directors, Life Director of the Fiesta Bowl and is Past President of the Bowl (1999/2000), President of the Executive Council of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Tempe and Chaired the Phoenix Citizens Transit Commission. He serves on the board of the Maricopa Partnership for Arts and Culture as well as the St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center Marketing Advisory Board, and on the Executive Committee of the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Mr. Holden was named Phoenix Advertising Person of the Year in 1985.

The Holden family resides in Phoenix. Mr. Holden’s wife Carolyn is a registered nurse, practicing at Camelback Pediatrics in Phoenix. Their three children are Chris, 35 is News Director at WPMT TV, the Fox affiliate in Harrisburg/York, PA; Allison, 31 an elementary school educator in the Tempe, Arizona school district and Emily, 28 who works in Athletics Operations at Arizona State University. 

Q:  How do you gauge success?

A:  The best measure of success is calibrated by the achievements and satisfaction of those who work for and with you. Early in my career, I learned to find the best people (usually smarter and more capable than me) and empower them to manage their area of the business with autonomy and accountability. The result is a satisfied, harmonious and motivated team. The other significant measure of success is the degree to which your children are happy and well adjusted. I am blessed with three children who have grown into productive, happy adults. All credit for that goes to my amazing wife Carolyn who worked diligently to create a loving, nurturing environment where laughter and music was the soundtrack in our home. 

Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be with and why?

A:  My father’s father passed away before I was born. The stories about his intellect, ingenuity and creativity are legendary in my family. I seriously regret not having him as a mentor and role model during my formative years.

Q: What is the most important attribute of a leader in your opinion?

A: I’d have to blend two attributes – trust and consistency. A good leader relies on instincts honed by experience and years of mentoring to be able to trust his or her team. Equally important is a consistent approach in demeanor as well as the process used to make decisions. The team shouldn’t be concerned about who is coming to work that day – Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.    

Q:  Who or what inspires you?     

A: Working at this magazine, with over 84 years of history and an unsurpassed record of excellence in landscape photography is both inspirational as well as a bit daunting. Our current leadership team at Arizona Highways views ourselves as caretakers. We focus on protecting the legacy of the magazine by respecting those who have come before us. And we recognize our responsibility of turning the magazine over to the next generation of leaders, leaving it with a solid foundation of success and positive momentum.

Q: What’s your favorite travel experience?

A:  My family relocated to Phoenix from the Chicago area in 1976. Within the first six months of our tenure here in the Valley, our new next0door neighbors insisted that we accompany them to the Grand Canyon. As a child, I had travelled with my family to some of the iconic national parks in the West, but nothing compared to that first look into the enormity of the Grand Canyon. With its constantly changing color palette beneath the rim, I never fail to be awe-struck and inspired by every visit since that first in 1977.   

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