MPA Reports asks Kent Johnson Four (more) Questions three years later. A lot has changed since then, but much, like the company’s mission to deliver “Fun with a Purpose” to kids, remain the same. (Click here to read his Four Questions from 2006.)

Since 1946, Highlights for Children has been inspiring and amusing kids with such features as “Goofus and Gallant” and “Hidden Pictures.” It is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Garry Cleveland Myers, a psychologist, and Caroline Clark Myers, who had worked together teaching illiterate soldiers during World War II. The publication still remains a family affair. The current CEO, Kent Johnson, is the great grandson of the founders and has a degree in physics from Harvard. He joined the organization in 2003 and took over in 2005 when then CEO Garry Myers III died unexpectedly. Since his arrival, the company has started to expand its offerings, such as the launch of Highlights High Five, a publication targeted toward a younger audience than Highlights reaches.

Q. Highlights for Children has built such a strong legacy over the decades.  How do you adapt your business model with the changing times?

A. This is a central issue for our business. We have a strong commitment to remain true to our foundational philosophy, vision and values. At the same time, we know we must find ways to adapt and change given the external conditions—both the economic conditions as well as the changing media and technology environment. So, we focus on creating positive content for children and families. We seek to help children to become their best selves, and we strive to be essential partners with parents in raising children to be caring, confident, curious and creative. But we remain very open to new opportunities and new ways of delivering that quality content, by developing products and services that go beyond the page, evolving our magazine business, growing on the Web and embracing technology.

Q. How has the addition of Highlights High Five changed things for the company? Are there other new magazines planned for the future?

A. High Five is a great addition to our product offerings. We are seeing success in circulation and have received very positive feedback from parents, grandparents and early-childhood educators. Having a growing dedicated audience who has identified themselves in our younger age range (2-6) also helped us bring our two newest activity book continuity programs—Hidden Pictures Playground and Puzzle Buzz—to more children. We don’t have specific plans for more magazines in the short term, but we are always looking for more and better ways to deliver “Fun with a Purpose” to children and families.

Q. How does being a family-owned business affect Highlights?

A. Being family-owned allows us to bring the right balance of focus on the long term and short term. We talk a lot about being a “mission-driven for-profit” company. Our ownership is very supportive of the complexity and strategic focus that come with balancing the two sides of that equation. And I think Garry and Caroline Myers, the founders of Highlights, had a vision that remains an asset for the company. They were lifelong educators, who started the company with the profound and unique philosophy to help children become their best selves through creativity and positive example. Any company is well served by continuing to serve such a meaningful mission.

Q. How does your physics degree from Harvard help you with your work at Highlights?

A. Although I don’t get to use physics a great deal in my day-to-day work, I do think that a training in science, math or engineering provides a great foundation for any career that requiring quantitative analysis. My technical training helps in approaching problems and analysis in direct marketing, financial analysis and business models.

Actually, I’m not the first member of Highlights’ leadership to have a background in a scientific field. Garry Cleveland Myers Jr. left his job as an aeronautical engineer in the 1950s to become the President of Highlights, and I think that’s encouraged the thoughtful science content Highlights magazine has produced over the years. It’s one of the things I remember enjoying in the magazine when I read it as a child.

–Mark J. Miller