January 15, 2014, BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – After four decades at Elton B. Stephens Co. (EBSCO), President and CEO F. Dixon Brooke Jr. announced his plans to retire at the end of this current fiscal year, June 30, 2014. Brooke joined EBSCO in
1973, and has spent the past eight and a half years serving as President and CEO— only the third President in EBSCO’s 70- year history.
“We owe a great thanks to Dixon for his long service to EBSCO,” said J.T. Stephens, Chairman of the Board. “We greatly appreciate his guidance and the continuing success of the company under his management. We thank Dixon heartily and wish him a well-deserved and enjoyable retirement.”
After a lengthy and thorough succession process, the Board of Directors has selected Tim Collins, President of EBSCO Information Services, to succeed Brooke effective at the beginning of the next fiscal year, July 1, 2014.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as EBSCO’s President,” said Brooke. “It has been challenging, demanding at times, and very rewarding. EBSCO is a great organization, full of wonderful, talented people. We are indeed fortunate to have Tim Collins ready and willing to step up to this new leadership challenge. Tim is an exceptionally accomplished leader with a proven management record marked by success.”
Brooke and Collins will work closely over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition; and during that time, Collins will continue to serve as President of EBSCO’s largest division, EBSCO Information Services. Following retirement, Brooke will continue to serve EBSCO as a member of the Board of Directors.
Collins has 27 years’ experience with EBSCO, beginning in 1987 when EBSCO acquired “Popular Magazine Review,” the company he co-founded with his stepfather, Jerry Seaman. Collins is a member of the EBSCO Founder’s Club, and he has never experienced a year without sales growth. “Tim possesses values consistent with the core values that have made EBSCO successful,” said Brooke. “He is an entrepreneur who manages with a determined outlook. He is a competitor who loves to win. Tim selects, supports, and retains good people. I have no doubt he will succeed in leading EBSCO to new performance highs.”
“I feel honored to have been presented with this opportunity. I’ve very much enjoyed my time working with many talented and committed people at EBSCO and am excited about being able to work with the entire EBSCO team in the future,” said Collins. “I am looking forward to working with Dixon over the coming months during the transition period and then working to help EBSCO realize its full potential over the long run.”
About EBSCO Industries, Inc.
Founded in 1944 by the late Elton B. Stephens, EBSCO Industries, Inc. has evolved into a global company with diverse business platforms that include Information Services, Publishing and Digital Media, Outdoor Products, Real Estate, Manufacturing, and General Services. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., EBSCO operates divisions and subsidiaries in 23 countries employing almost 6,000 people. EBSCO Information Services is the leading provider of resources for libraries including EBSCONET®, EBSCO’stotal e-resource management system, and EBSCOhost®, the world's premier for-fee online research service, including full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, historical digital archives and e-books. EBSCO Information Services is also the provider of EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS), which provides each institution with a fast, single search box for its entire collection, offering deeper indexing and more full-text searching of journals and magazines than any other discovery service. The Publishing and Digital Media Group provides services to the publishing industry while operating its own publishing companies, EBSCO Research and Grand View Media Group. EBSCO’s outdoor subsidiary, PRADCO Outdoor Brands, is the world’s largest manufacturer and marketer of major hunting and fishing brands. EBSCO’s Real Estate Group is active in commercial and residential real estate development in Alabama and Florida as well as in a growing investment portfolio of multi-family assets. EBSCO's manufacturing operations include commercial printing, retail merchandising solutions, promotional products supply and distribution, indoor and outdoor signage and loose-leaf binders and packaging products. The General Services Group of businesses includes property and casualty insurance and employee benefits, corporate branding and integrated marketing, as well as educational textbook distribution. For a complete listing of EBSCO's business groups, please visit www.ebscoind.com
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Kathleen McEvoy
Vice President of Communications
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebsco.com
