I am the Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world and the seventh largest trade book publishing company in the U.S. Our company is privately-held. I have worked at the company for a total of fourteen years.

I began my publishing career at Word Publishing while a student at Baylor University. I worked at Word for a total of six years. In addition to serving as Vice President of Marketing at Thomas Nelson in the mid-80s, I also started my own publishing company, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, with my partner Robert Wolgemuth in 1986. Word eventually acquired our company in 1992.

I was a successful literary agent from 1992 until early 1998. I have also written four books, one of which landed on the New York Times bestseller list where it stayed for seven months. I am currently working on my fifth book, The How of Wow. It is scheduled for publication in 2010.

I joined Thomas Nelson for the second time in 1998. Since that time I have worked in a variety of roles in both divisional and corporate management. I was promoted to President and COO in February 2004 and CEO in August 2005. I also serve as Chairman of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

My Interests

While I love my work, it is not the most important thing in my life. That position belongs to my family. I have been married to my wife, Gail (follow her on Twitter @GailHyatt), for thirty-two years. We have five daughters, a grandson, and three granddaughters. We live outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

In my free time, I enjoy writing, reading, running, and golfing. I am a member of St. Ignatius Orthodox Church in Franklin, Tennessee, where I have served as a deacon for twenty-three years.

My Blog

If you are new to my blog, here are a few of my most popular posts:

• Advice to First-Time Authors
• Before You Quit Your Job
• Creating a Life Plan
• Five Rules for Better Presentations
• Goal-Setting: The 90-Day Challenge
• How to Shave Ten Hours Off Your Work Week
• Slay Your Dragons Before Breakfast
• The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter
• The Importance of a Leader’s Heart
• The Perfect Moment