Rob Krier, president of Griffin Media, has announced his retirement. Wade Deaver, VP of sales at Griffin, will become president as of October 1. Krier will shift to a president emeritus role.
He has put in 48 years at Griffin.
“All of us here at Griffin Media are excited to welcome Wade Deaver as our new president,” said David F. Griffin, CEO and chairman of Griffin Media. “Wade has been an integral member of the Griffin Media family for 25 years, and we look forward to seeing how his impressive leadership skills and expansive experience will further Griffin Media’s impact as he steps into his new role.”
Griffin Media holdings include KWTV-KSBI Oklahoma City and KOTV-KQCW Tulsa. The company has radio stations in Oklahoma too.
“I am honored and humbled to be named the next president of Griffin Media,” said Deaver. “It is a privilege to take the helm of this transformative, impactful family-owned and managed company. I am thankful to Rob for his decades of remarkable leadership and will honor his legacy by further positioning and advancing Griffin Media as Oklahoma’s premier media company and preserving the organization’s family-centric and people-first culture.”
Deaver has been Griffin’s VP of sales since 1998. The two executives will remain “intricately connected,” Griffin Media said, as Deaver transitions to president. The company will search for a new VP of sales.
“We are incredibly thankful for Rob’s nearly 50 years of service to Griffin Media,” Griffin said. “While it is bittersweet to see him retire, we are glad that he will remain connected to the organization and continue to positively impact our company through his important new advisory position of president emeritus.”
Krier said putting in nearly five decades at Griffin “has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
“Griffin Media plays a unique, prominent and critical role in our state’s media landscape, and I have no doubt that Wade is the right person to lead the company and capitalize on its forward momentum in the years to come,” he added. “I am grateful to David for his confidence and support through the years and for all my colleagues I have worked with over time — they are the best.”
