Mark H. Willes
Encyclopedia
Mark Hinckley Willes is a Latter-day Saint business leader who currently heads Deseret Management Corporation
and CEO of the KSL Broadcast Group.
Willes was born in Salt Lake City to Joseph S. Willes and his wife, the former Ruth Hinckley. Willes' mother, Ruth, was the sister of Gordon B. Hinckley
. Willes graduated from West High School in Salt Lake City. He received his bachelors degree and Ph.D. from Columbia University
.
After graduating from Columbia Willes became a professor at the Wharton School of Business and a researcher with the Philadelphia Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. He later left Wharton and became Vice President of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve.
Willes served a term as president of the United States Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
from 1977 to 1980. He later served as an executive with General Mills
where among other positions he served as president, Chief Operating Officer and eventually vice chairman of the Board of Directors. For his cost-cutting and elimination of many jobs, he was widely dubbed "The Cereal Killer".
Willes was CEO of Times Mirror Company from 1995-2000. In 1997 Willes took on the additional duty of being publisher of the Los Angeles Times
. In this position he tried to expand the newspapers outreach by starting a section aimed at Latino readers.
Willes served for almost a decade as president of the Minneapolis Minnesota Stake. Willes and his wife Laura are the parents of five children.
After the Tribune Company
purchased Times Mirror, Willes retired. He then worked for about a year as a business professor at Brigham Young University
(BYU). He then served as president of the Hawaii Honoluu Mission from 2001-2004. Willes later served as chairman of the board of the Polynesian Cultural Center
, beginning in 2005, although he first became a member of the board in 1996. He was a major donator to the construction of the canoe learning compound. BYU-Hawaii also established renamed their Center for International Entrepreneurship as the Mark and Laura Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship.
Willes also donated to BYU's Neal A. Maxwell Center for Religious Scholarship which lead to the eastablishment of the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, named for his wife Laura, being established in 2007 as part of the Maxwell Center.
Willes currently has served as chairman of the Board of Deseret Book Company and CEO of Deseret Management Corporation since March 2009.
Deseret Management Corporation
The Deseret Management Corporation is a for-profit management company of assets for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was established in 1966 by then church president David O...
and CEO of the KSL Broadcast Group.
Willes was born in Salt Lake City to Joseph S. Willes and his wife, the former Ruth Hinckley. Willes' mother, Ruth, was the sister of Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
. Willes graduated from West High School in Salt Lake City. He received his bachelors degree and Ph.D. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
After graduating from Columbia Willes became a professor at the Wharton School of Business and a researcher with the Philadelphia Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank. He later left Wharton and became Vice President of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve.
Willes served a term as president of the United States Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States, covers the 9th District of the Federal Reserve, including Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...
from 1977 to 1980. He later served as an executive with General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
where among other positions he served as president, Chief Operating Officer and eventually vice chairman of the Board of Directors. For his cost-cutting and elimination of many jobs, he was widely dubbed "The Cereal Killer".
Willes was CEO of Times Mirror Company from 1995-2000. In 1997 Willes took on the additional duty of being publisher of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. In this position he tried to expand the newspapers outreach by starting a section aimed at Latino readers.
Willes served for almost a decade as president of the Minneapolis Minnesota Stake. Willes and his wife Laura are the parents of five children.
After the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
purchased Times Mirror, Willes retired. He then worked for about a year as a business professor at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU). He then served as president of the Hawaii Honoluu Mission from 2001-2004. Willes later served as chairman of the board of the Polynesian Cultural Center
Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a Polynesian-themed theme park or living museum located in Laie, on the northern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Dedicated on October 12, 1963, the PCC occupies owned by nearby Brigham Young University–Hawaii....
, beginning in 2005, although he first became a member of the board in 1996. He was a major donator to the construction of the canoe learning compound. BYU-Hawaii also established renamed their Center for International Entrepreneurship as the Mark and Laura Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship.
Willes also donated to BYU's Neal A. Maxwell Center for Religious Scholarship which lead to the eastablishment of the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, named for his wife Laura, being established in 2007 as part of the Maxwell Center.
Willes currently has served as chairman of the Board of Deseret Book Company and CEO of Deseret Management Corporation since March 2009.
Sources
- New York Times, Feb. 4, 2002
- Deseret News, March 12, 2010
- New York Times March 15, 2000
- LDS Church News May 16, 2009
- New York Times May 2nd, 1995
- Marriott Magazine Summer 2001 article on Mark Willes