DAVID B. LOVINS
Wants ‘team environment’
The Warren Group, publisher of Banker & Tradesman in Massachusetts and The Commercial Record in Connecticut, has promoted David B. Lovins to serve as president and chief operating officer.
Lovins, 42, succeeds Timothy M. Warren Jr., who served in that role for the past 16 years. Warren is now the chief executive officer of the family-owned company, which in addition to publishing the two newspapers and other trade magazines also provides information services to professionals in the real estate and banking industries.
The change in leadership, announced at a company meeting in February, marks the first time that a non-family member has served as president of the company. Warren was the fourth generation of the Warren family to hold the position.
In his new role, Lovins, who previously served as the company’s senior vice president of information services, will manage day-to-day corporate operations, take responsibility for all sales and marketing efforts and oversee the production of the company’s 12 real estate and banking publications.
In addition, Lovins will continue to be in charge of duties associated with his former position, including establishing the overall strategy for system development, procedures and operations.
Warren said he had discussed the possibility of changing his role and responsibilities with company executives for about a year. The shift will free up his time to meet and seek out potential new business partners and explore opportunities for expanding the business, including new product development, he said. Specifically, Warren is hoping to expand the company’s services and data products to other New England states, including Maine.
“I’ll be able to spend a lot more time expanding” the business, said Warren.
‘Good With Goals’
Warren commended Lovins for his ability to recruit and retain talented staff. In his prior position, Lovins had a staff of about 50 who reported to him directly and indirectly.
“Dave’s very organized and very directed. He seems to have a plan and works steadily toward the plan,” said Warren.
“My expectation is that Dave will be able to grow the business perhaps in a more thoughtful or well-planned kind of way,” added Warren. “He’s good with goals and he’s good with budgets and when he says what he’s going to do and how much it’s going to cost and how much we’re going to make, it’s generally very close to what he actually delivers.”
He continued, “I have a lot of confidence that he’s going to be successful at this and he’ll go about it in a very thoughtful … and also creative way.”
Lovins said he wants to increase company profits and revenues, and improve and expand the company’s services and products to better meet customers’ needs.
“I know from the data product side that the potential is huge,” said Lovins. “There are a lot of market segments that we haven’t even touched yet that can use our data. We just need to be somewhat aggressive to get there.”
Lovins said he also wants to increase the profitability of the newspapers and would like to set the tone for “more of a team environment” within the company’s various divisions.
“I don’t want to come up with all the ideas. I don’t want Tim to come up with all the ideas. I want everyone to come up with the ideas, follow through, be excited about the products,” said Lovins. “I like to create things but I don’t want to be the only one – the only kid on the block – doing it.”
The potential for growth is what excites Lovins the most about his new position.
“Every [job] interview that I’ve ever gone on, I’ve said to people if I’m here to maintain, I don’t want the job. I usually said that within the first 10 minutes of an interview. I’m still the same way now. I don’t want to maintain an organization. I want to grow a company,” he said.
In the past year, The Warren Group has added 10 new positions to bring the total workforce to 75 employees.
Lovins, who has worked in information technology for more than 15 years, joined The Warren Group in 1996 as its director of information technology. He was later promoted to vice president of information technology and eventually senior vice president of information services.
Prior to joining The Warren Group, Lovins was a senior business analyst for BlueCross BlueShield.
