Charter Financial Publishing Network, the parent company of Financial Advisor magazine, has named Gary Holland as CEO. Holland previously spent his career at Dow Jones, finishing his career there as publisher and head of global sales and marketing at Barron's.
During his tenure running the business side of Barron's, Holland presided over the most successful period in its 99-year history. In addition to launching its conference business, he managed its expansion into online publishing.
Holland was elected CEO by a unanimous vote of CFPN's board of directors."I am very proud to be a part of the amazing team at Financial Advisor," Holland said. "We have a very proud history servicing the advisor community and showcasing best practices in wealth management. We remain committed to these core values and will diligently work to bring you the best advice in advisor excellence."
Holland succeeds Charlie Stroller, who is stepping aside after 20 years as CEO. Stroller will assist Holland during a transition period, after which Stroller will continue to provide corporate-level advice and be a resource for the company's publishing efforts on the board of directors. Stroller will also retain responsibility for the management of CFPN’s existing and future investments in other businesses.
"I've known Gary for 25 years and have always liked and respected him," Stroller said. "I'm looking forward to working with Gary."
Speaking for the Financial Advisor editorial staff, CFPN Executive Vice President and Editorial Director Evan Simonoff said, "We are delighted to have someone with Gary's talents, skills and experience to run the business side of our company. Gary and Charlie both share a deep and abiding faith that the editorial department is the beating heart and soul of a publishing company. But high-quality editorial content is only possible with capable management on the business and operations side.
"I'd also like to thank Charlie for managing CFPN through various trials and tribulations, including September 11 and the financial crisis," Simonoff continued. "More than any other financial executive I've ever worked with, Charlie was always more than willing to spend money for great articles. For that, we are all very fortunate and our readers are the beneficiaries."
Executive leadership on CFPN's business side also expressed approval. "I've known and admired Gary for over two decades, and believe he'll add the perfect combination of experience, knowledge and passion for financial publishing to our proud FA brand," David Smith, CFPN's co-founder, executive vice president and director of third-party content.