Christopher Capen

About Christopher Capen

Chris is a visionary publishing and marketing strategist with a servant attitude and a team mentality. Over the past 30 years, working with numerous top-tier national and international brands, Chris has spent his career creating successful emotional connections and measurable results through book publishing and innovative marketing communication programs. At the heart of his work is a passionate commitment to be purpose-driven—educating, entertaining, and enhancing engagement with audiences in order to create a deeper understanding, appreciation, and care for a subject that will translate to a desired action. Chris has a unique ability to identify new publishing opportunities, formulate and communicate a vision, assemble and inspire outstanding teams, build partnerships with world-class brands at the highest levels, collaborate with innovative technology leaders, secure funding, and integrate complex financial performance models with operations to achieve bottom-line results. This unique combination of passion, talent, and experience has produced programs and businesses that have delivered transformational results.

Experience

1. President

   Southwestern Publishing House

   Jan 2016 — Present · Nashville, CA

   Founded in 1855 in Nashville (when Nashville was in the Southwest of the United States), Southwestern Publishing is one of the oldest privately-held publishers in America and the largest custom book publisher. Chris oversees all strategic planning, business development, sales, partnerships, creative, and financial management. With his senior team, he works with leading international brands to create successful marketing communication programs and emotional connections with their audiences. This authentic, educational engagement uses the publication and distribution of books and the execution of missioncentered communication initiatives around these books to inspire, engage, educate, change perceptions and create collaborative environments for positive action. Southwestern Publishing House is wholly-owned by the Southwestern Family of Companies Diversified the business from two operating divisions serving five markets to eight divisions serving over thirty markets. Expanded 5-year growth trajectory by over 300%, reduced average new product to market development time by 50%, increased operating efficiencies by over 15%, and more than doubled net income.• Launched three new divisions through internal initiatives and added three through acquisitions• Attracted, assembled and doubled the size of the senior leadership team to expand capacity• Created and launched four new book communication platforms/formats to serve new online markets• Eliminated unproductive activities, expanded global sourcing and doubled the number of key development partners• Turned five years of loses and declining revenues at 10-15% per year into three years of annual revenue growth at over 20% per year and net income exceeding 10%

Education

• Duke University

  B.S., Computer Science

  1982 — 1986

• Ransom Everglades School

  High School, Miami, FL

  1979 — 1982

Skills

• Editorial
• Online Publishing
• Publications
• Editing
• Marketing
• Copy Editing
• Publishing
• Books
• Warehousing
• Manuscript
• Concept Development
• Content Development
• Content Management
• Ebooks