William F. Reilly Passed Away Friday Evening

William F. Reilly, founder of Summit Business Media, passed away Friday evening, October 17, 2008, after a year-long battle with cancer. Bill was 70.

Bill enjoyed a long and fruitful career in business media. In one of the first private-equity backed ventures in media, backed by the renowned firm of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (“KKR”), Bill guided Primedia’s inception, launch and growth from zero to a $1.7 billion company in both consumer and B2B media over a ten-year period.  After leaving Primedia in 1999, he acquired the Cincinnati-based company F&W, subsequently acquired Krause, then sold this special interest consumer magazine and education company in 2005.

In 2006, as Chairman and CEO, Bill founded Summit Business Media, with the backing of Wind Point Partners in Chicago, and subsequently acquired the platform companies Highline Media and Pfingsten Publishing. Since that time the Company has also acquired Judy Diamond Associates, Agent Media, Wicks Business Media, AUS Online and Wiesner Financial Media.

Bill’s cancer was diagnosed in mid-2007, at which time, stepped back from day to day operations, and I was named, first President last year, then also CEO this year.

Tom Flynn, Joe Bennett and I, among other executives at Summit, had the pleasure of working closely with Bill as we set up the Company. While we were awed at first by his past accomplishments, he quickly put us at ease. We got to know him as much more than just one of the most successful media executives of all time – he was a Renaissance man, a student of history, books, art – a generous man – and an all-around great guy.

Bill grew up in New York, was graduated from Notre Dame and Harvard Business School, served in the armed forces in Europe. His early business career included stints at WR Grace, as President of Herman’s Sporting Goods, the publishing house MacMillan, before founding Primedia.

I will be representing the Company at Bill’s funeral on Wednesday. We will also be making appropriate arrangements to celebrate his life and his role as founder of Summit.

Please join me in our heartfelt sympathy, thoughts and prayers to his son Tony Reilly, his daughter Jane Reilly Mount, their children and the rest of the Reilly family.

Bill will be missed.

Andy Goodenough
President and CEO
Summit Business Media