WILLIAM T. KERR
Chairman of the Board of Directors
and Chief Executive Officer
Meredith Corporation

Bill Kerr has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Meredith since January 1998.  He joined the company as President of the Magazine Group in 1991; was named President and COO in May 1994; and CEO in 1997.  Prior to joining Meredith, Kerr served seven years as President of The New York Times Magazine Group. Kerr has presided over more than a decade of unprecedented growth for Meredith. During that time, he established Better Homes and Gardens as a preeminent magazine brand, with a 31 percent share of the advertising revenue in the women's service field.  Additionally, he recently oversaw a very successful relaunch of the venerable Ladies' Home Journal, Meredith's other mass-market title.

Kerr has focused on growing Meredith's magazine portfolio.  Titles such as Country Home, Traditional Home, Midwest Living and WOOD have become category leaders.  Meredith launched More magazine in 1997 - the first title to succeed in the 40+ women's category.  In 2002, Meredith purchased the American Baby Group, and it has increased the company's reach to younger and Hispanic women.

Additionally, Kerr and his team have executed strategies to increase non-advertising revenues.  Using the Better Homes and Gardens brand, Kerr more than doubled the number of Meredith's newsstand special interest publications to 160.  He retooled the company's book operation, focusing on extending both its own and its clients' brands.  He established Meredith Integrated Marketing as a leader in the custom publishing arena. And Meredith Interactive Media has emerged with award-winning Web sites that have generated more than a million online subscribers.

On the broadcasting side, Meredith's television holdings have grown from 5 to 12 stations, expanding into markets such as Atlanta and Portland (OR).  Also, Meredith has leveraged its magazines to create unique marketing programs for television clients. 

Kerr has expanded Meredith's community involvement as well.  The company is a major benefactor in the Des Moines community.  Nationally, he increased the company's matching gifts program and added contributions for volunteer hours.  And, in the past two years, more than 1,000 Meredith employees joined with Rebuilding Together to repair the homes of elderly, disabled and low-income residents across the country. 

Kerr serves on the boards of many for-profit companies and non-profit organizations.  He is a past chair of MPA and the current chair of The International Federation of the Periodical Press. Also, he is a Trustee of Oxford University Press (USA).