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John M. Mathew has resigned as chief executive officer of Wick Communications Co. and as a member of the board. His departure will coincide with the naming of his successor as CEO, a process expected to take up to six months, and he will continue to run the company during that period.
Steve Phillips, chairman of the board of Wick Communications Co., said the search for Mathew’s successor will begin soon.
Mathew, 56, has been Wick’s CEO since 2001. During his time with the company, Wick acquired newspapers in Pierre, S.D., and Anchorage, Alaska; built three new production facilities and one office building; installed more than 60 refurbished press units; converted to computer-to-plate in every location; won countless state and national awards for editorial quality; and greatly enhanced the company’s websites.
"I’ve enjoyed my time with Wick and appreciate the support of the board, the Wick family, our management team and all Wick employees," Mathew said.
Phillips said, "On behalf of the Wick Communications board of directors, I thank John for his 12 years of excellent leadership of the company and steering us successfully through many economic cycles."
He added "The community newspaper business has a good future and the board of directors is committed to completing a diligent search for a new CEO who will successfully lead this company through the challenges presented by an ever-changing business environment. As the board conducts that search, we want all our stakeholders to understand the continuing commitment of the board and the Wick family to Wick Communications. Additionally, at this time of CEO transition, we ask all of our employees to maintain their focus and engagement on playing their part in ensuring the Wick business performs at the very highest level possible."
Walt and Bob Wick, family and company leaders for more than 60 years, commended Mathew for the quality of his leadership, his concern for the company personnel and his personal commitment to seeing that Wick Communications has the economic strength and infrastructure necessary to meet the challenges of the coming years.
