Kalmbach Publishing Co. announced today the appointment of media veteran Dan Hickey as Chief Executive Officer.

WAUKESHA, WI – Hickey, 57, of Park City, Utah, becomes Kalmbach’s sixth CEO in the company’s 83-year history. He replaces Charles Croft, who left the company in fall 2016. 

“Dan is an exceptional media executive who brings a unique blend of digital, editorial, and business expertise,” said Gerald Boettcher, chairman of the Board of Directors and lead director of the board’s search committee. “He has a long track record of building strong media brands and digital innovation. He has led several media business transformations and brings a clear vision about how we will successfully evolve over the next five to 10 years. We’re excited to have him as our CEO.”

Hickey has spent more than 25 years in media leadership roles, including a 12-year career at Meredith Corp., where he oversaw all the digital businesses. He also held executive positions at AOL, The Daily Telegraph in London, and Tribune Publishing. Recently, Hickey has been a digital media consultant at National Geographic in Washington, D.C. Earlier in his career Hickey held editorial leadership roles at SportBoston, Walking, National Gardening, EarthWatch, and Vermont Times.

“I am thrilled to be selected CEO by the board,” said Hickey. “Kalmbach has a long and compelling history of putting the customer front and center and has built a valuable multichannel platform for serving their enthusiast communities. We will continue to invest in our community platform and look to build and acquire new passion communities to serve.”

The QTI Group, out of Madison, Wisconsin, was the recruiting firm used in this executive search.

Kalmbach Publishing Co., based in suburban Milwaukee, publishes 12 special-interest magazines — including Astronomy, Bead&Button, Discover, Model Railroader, and Trains — and produces related books, websites and events for enthusiasts.