A well-known catalog industry veteran misused funds from a California direct marketing club last year.
Bill Dean, who founded catalog and direct marketing consulting firm W.A. Dean & Associates in 1988, worked as a volunteer member for the Catalog and eCommerce Club, Northern California for about 10 years. He was elected to serve as treasurer beginning in July 2000.
In his position as treasurer, he had single-signature authority on writing checks on behalf of the organization, which operates with a approximately $75,000 annual budget, said Greg Carter, vice president of the club.
Carter said that last fall, Dean did not produce treasurer’s reports as expected by the club’s board of directors. After the board insisted on viewing the reports, Dean came forward to admit that he had taken “small amounts” of money over the course of a year but had planned to pay the money back immediately and had already started to do so.
Last October, the board called for his immediate resignation and went on to change its procedures to require two signatures on all checks.
A full audit was conducted to identify the funds that had been taken during parts of 2000 and 2001. Dean paid the money back in full plus interest, Carter said. No financial harm came to the club, and its operations were not disrupted, he added. Carter declined to comment on the total amount of money taken.
Dean acknowledged the episode in an interview.
“At a moment when I was in desperate personal and business financial straits I borrowed money without authorization from the CEC,” Dean said. “At that time I believed that my business was about to receive a major project and I thought that the borrowing would be short term and temporary. Unfortunately the project fell through/ However. I was able to pay back all that I borrowed plus all interest and other expenses incurred by the club, and the club was not harmed in any fashion.”
Dean added, “I have resigned from the club, which has not pressed any charges,” he said. “I have physically relocated and am attempting to restart my life. At this time I wish to put this matter behind me.”
In a Nov. 14 column published in DM News, he wrote that he was leaving the catalog industry. “After much thought, I have decided this is the time for me to take advantage of reasonably good health and explore some other things I always wanted to do. Thus, this column and next month’s will be my goodbye to the industry and the many, many people I have been privileged to work with and know over the years.”
The article said that he and his wife would be moving to the Los Angeles area after she accepted a position there.
Dean has been involved in the catalog industry since he took a job with Sears, Roebuck and Co. almost 40 years ago. During his career he worked as COO of International Male following its purchase by Hanover; executive vice president for Hanover House Industries (now Hanover Direct) and vice president of marketing and merchandising for Yield House Inc. He has also managed the DM efforts of Hanes Hosiery (now Sara Lee Direct) and managed the catalog division of Eastern Mountain Sports.
He was a frequent speaker at corporate seminars and industry conferences and has appeared in both state and federal courts as an expert witness in cases involving catalog companies.
Dean also was a co-publisher of the Dean/DMA The State of the Catalog/Interactive Report.
The Catalog and eCommerce Club, Northern California was founded in 1987 and has more than 300 members. Its purpose is to provide a networking forum for catalog and e-commerce professionals on the West Coast. Its educational platform supports business professionals and students. The organization is run by a total of 40 advisory and executive committee board members, Carter said.
Network
