Aspire Media Hires Troy Wells as New Chief Financial Officer

Aspire Media, a leading multiplatform enthusiast media company, named Troy Wells as its new chief financial officer, effective today. Wells also will be a key member of Aspire Media’s executive team and will participate in the company’s overall strategic planning. He will work closely with the previous CFO Dianne Gates, who is transitioning to become the business manager for the fiber division at Aspire Media’s Interweave Press. As the fiber division business manager, Gates will manage the magazine and book publishing units and online business affairs.

Wells joins Aspire Media from a twenty-year tenure at Meredith Corporation, where he worked in a number of key leadership posts in their financial division. Since 2000, he served as the controller of Meredith’s Publishing Group, where he managed all financial aspects of the group and provided financial oversight for Meredith’s magazine publishing, book and custom publishing units as well as their online businesses. Previously, Wells served as Meredith Corporation’s business director, business manager, accounting manager, financial analyst, and auditor.

CEO Clay Hall says in making the announcement, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Troy to Aspire Media’s executive team. His strong financial background at a billion-dollar media company and his particular understanding of multiplatform media will be a terrific asset for Aspire Media as we continue to build the company. Troy’s past experience also will be invaluable when it comes to integrating acquisitions into the business—something we will be doing often over the next several years.”

Hall adds, “As Aspire Media’s previous CFO, Dianne Gates provided the financial leadership that contributed to the company’s strong record of performance. We are very grateful to Gates for her service in this role and we know she will excel as the business manager of the vibrant fiber division at Interweave Press, where she’ll be closer to the work she loves most—the operational aspects of the business.” Gates had been CFO of Interweave Press since September 2005.

“This is a very exciting opportunity,” says Wells. “Aspire Media has accomplished a great deal over the past couple years and I’m looking forward to overseeing its continued success as its chief financial officer. And it is exciting to be starting a new chapter in my professional and personal life in beautiful Colorado.”

Wells is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from Simpson College. A lifelong Iowan, Wells plans to relocate to the Loveland, Colorado area with his wife. They have two college-age children.