Boysen, Rossi And Wilhelm Named to Long Island DMA Hall Of Fame

The Direct Marketing Association of Long Island has inducted Markus Wilhelm, Hank Rossi and Stuart Boysen into its Hall of Fame.

Wilhelm is the CEO of AKS Marketing & Media, a direct marketing consulting agency. He is also the chairman of Solar Tech South, a solar energy distribution company. Additionally, Wilhelm recently founded Hampton Green Homes, a green-technology builder of high-end homes in North Carolina and the surrounding area.

From 2001 to 2007 Wilhelm served as the CEO of Bookspan. He was the CEO of Doubleday Direct between 1994 and 2001. Wilhelm was a member of the board of Bertelsmann Direct for more than a decade, and was responsible for all book direct-to-consumer businesses in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia/NZ and Asia.

Wilhelm started his direct marketing career at Bertelsmann Direct in 1984, and in the fall of 1986 began his career in North America with the acquisition of Doubleday by Bertelsmann AG. From 1988-1990 he was the CEO of Doubleday Canada.

For the past eight years, Wilhelm has been a member of the Direct Marketing Association’s board of directors. He served as its chairman in 2006 and 2007. He also serves as a member of the DMA Executive Committee and a member of the board of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

Rossi is the owner of Eastern Collection Corp, ECC Profit Improvement Services, Inc. and Profit Improvement Concepts, Ltd. During his 47 years of experience in customer service, credit and collections and operations management, he has held positions at: McGraw-Hill, Grolier Enterprises, Diners Club and Hyaid, a fulfillment service bureau where he was executive VP.

After working as a consultant at America Online for five years, during which time he developed the company’s initial credit strategies, he was named VP of marketing operations, which he held for six years prior to his retirement.

Following his stint at AOL, Rossi opened Profit Improvement Concepts, Ltd. and resumed his consulting career working for such companies as: Charter Communications, Fluidity, MBS, and Women for Women.

Rossi taught the Customer Service, Fulfillment and Credit and Collection Excellence seminars for the Direct Marketing Association for over a decade. He has been chairman of The Direct Marketing Days in NY Education Committee and director of training for the Fulfillment Management Association. He is past president of the Greater Long Island Postal Customer Council, the Long Island Direct Marketing Association and has served on the board of the Long Island Better Business Bureau for more than five years.

Boysen began his direct marketing career when he joined Hoke Communications, Inc. in 1978, when Pete Hoke hired him to computerize the company. By 1982, the firm’s entire publishing operation, from editorial and advertising to database and ancillary sales of books and cassettes, was online, all running off a single computer network.

Under Boysen, the system expanded to handle club and conference administration. Clients included DMCNY, Direct Marketing Days in New York, the Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association and Fund Raising Day in New York. He is also a past president of the Fulfillment Management Association.

Boysen is currently executive director for The Direct Marketing Club of New York, a position he has held since 2004. Prior to that, he was an advisor to the board with responsibility for database, registration and administration. His involvement with DMCNY began in 1981. He also serves as exhibits chair for Fund Raising Day in New York.