Will Oechsler

Will Oechsler is senior vice president of the U.S. for Our Daily Bread Ministries. In this role, he oversees the largest of the four regional offices with 300 employees. Specifically, Will leads the ministry’s publishing, media, marketing, partnership and church engagement, youth outreach, and customer experience groups. He also serves on the global executive team for this 85-year-old nonprofit that operates 32 offices serving 150 countries in 58 languages.

Previously, Will was chief marketing officer for Furniture Row Companies, one of America’s fastest growing furniture retailers. While in his role, he also championed many of the company’s philanthropic efforts for non-profits including World Vision, Salvation Army, Arbor Day Foundation, Citygate Network, and the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Will served as president of EthnoGraphic Media/EGM Films, an educational nonprofit that produced and distributed films exploring some of today’s most critical issues. Films included Beyond the Gates of Splendor, End of the Spear, The Grandfathers, Little Town of Bethlehem, and Miss HIV.

Will previously was the executive vice president of marketing at Zondervan where he oversaw all marketing initiatives for the Bible, trade book, academic, children's, and new media groups as well as branding, corporate communications, publicity, digital marketing, market research, creative services, church engagement, and events.

Before Zondervan, he was president and chief strategic officer of Hanon McKendry | The Brand Consultants with corporate clients that included Owens Corning, Gordon Food Service, Hush Puppies, Amway, and Rubbermaid as well as nonprofits World Vision, Promise Keepers, Knights of Columbus, Focus on the Family, and Bethany Christian Services.

Will’s professional career began at Leo Burnett USA, at the time the country’s foremost advertising agency. There he managed research and planning efforts for many of the world’s top brands including McDonald's, Sony, Philip Morris (Marlboro), Reebok, P&G, (Crest, Luvs, White Cloud, Pepto-Bismol), and Walt Disney World. His national recognition for strategic marketing communications includes two Effies, an Obie, Gabriel, Silver Anvil, New York Festival World Medal, two Pollies, two Print Magazine Awards, a Web Award, Webby Worthy Award, Marketing Sherpa Silver Mouse, four Audies (including audiobook of the year), and more than a dozen Telly Awards.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Will holds a Bachelor of Science in speech and a Master of Arts in journalism. While with the University of Texas, he served as project director at the Office of Survey Research where he led research teams on behalf of clients such as Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, and Texas Department of Health. Will was also a research consultant for the South Texas Health Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. There he managed qualitative and quantitative social science research studies among Hispanics living along the Texas border with Mexico. He remains committed to higher education, having taught the past 15 years as an adjunct instructor in the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts and Media.

Will and his wife, Laura, live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Between them they have 10 children including two daughters from Nicaragua and one from Ethiopia. They also have four grandchildren.

Meet Will

Chapters:  
0:00 Introduction  
1:13 Why do you teach in the program?  
3:45 How do you bring the real world into your online classes?  
8:05 Fun (surprise) question