Bruce Akin retired after 10 years as CEO at B.A.S.S., and he left his mark in the bass fishing world. Following are comments from co-workers and people in the industry.
B.A.S.S. Chairman Chase Anderson
In 2017, Anderson Media Corporation purchased a controlling stake in B.A.S.S., with Chase Anderson moving from Dallas to Birmingham to serve as Chairman. Anderson will take over Akin’s CEO duties.
“On a personal side, I can say how much I enjoyed working with him, developing a great friendship. He’s been a great mentor for me. He’s taught me a lot about B.A.S.S., the industry and the sport. He’s just a solid, steady leader. He has done a really good job in making decisions, and giving people respect both in the company and the industry. He’s been a respectful voice and I think people value his opinion.”
On Akin’s sound leadership after losing 60 Elites.
“I remember him saying, ‘Stay the course, implement B.A.S.S. Class,’ and focus on being better and changing what we can. Follow that principle that’s been a part of the organization for many years. A lot of corporate executives said we took the high road.”
On Akin’s key role in negotiating the FOX TV deal.
“He was good at explaining the sport to the FOX executives to emphasize why it was good for them. He was professional and did a great job leading the talks, conveying why LIVE needed to be on FOX Sports.”
On fun road trips with Akin, who he acknowledged always knew the best places to eat, including his local favorite in Birmingham.
“Bruce loves good food. He’s a foodie. I know he’s going to pick the right food. Always picked the wine at meals and I trusted it would be a good selection. Gianmarcos is his go-to. He’s the mayor there. I look forward to seeing the mayor of Gianmarcos around.”
B.A.S.S. digital VP Jim Sexton
Jim Sexton, who oversees Bassmaster.com and the organization’s social media, worked with Akin previously and said Bruce convinced him in 2007 to move his family from Knoxville to Birmingham to work at Time Inc.
“I made one massive mistake when he hired me. I agreed to bet on the Alabama-Tennessee football game in Nick Saban’s first year. I have had a standing bet with Bruce for 14 years. I am 0-14. You’re supposed to give the other person something that’s made in your home state. Tried Bushes Beans, GooGoo Clusters. Then I got him a bottle of Gentleman Jack. He said, ‘I’d prefer that.’ I’ve given him a lot of Jack Daniels.
“What I’m thinking is, when he retires, the bet is done. It only works when I’m working for him. It’s been fun even though I’m out of pocket. I’ve been kidding him, the year Tennessee final wins, a nice gift would be a Mercedes Benz, which are made in Alabama.”
On Akin’s leadership.
“I’ve loved working for Bruce because he gives you some direction and gets out of the way. He tends to hire good people and lets them do their job with occasional input. Bruce’s background is as a CPA, but it turns out he’s a really good proofreader. In the internet world, we publish fast and furious. So he finds little things periodically — in your stories, too Sooch– and it’s actually made me work harder because I don’t want to be embarrassed by Bruce.”
Sexton can verify that Akin has certainly been a calming force at B.A.S.S.
“Bruce is uniquely calm, and logical. He doesn’t let the drama of the moment sway him from being logical and thoughtful. He thinks things through and just stays calm. He just doesn’t get ruffled. There’s been times at B.A.S.S. where there’s been some drama or big thing that happen and other people are ‘We gotta do this, we gotta do that.’ But he calmly stayed the course and kept us from some kneejerk reactions.”
Sexton said Akin is usually the smartest person in the room.
“Bruce is really smart. When you first meet him you might think of him as just this good ole boy from Alabama, but I have seen him run circles around some big city, highly sophisticated types who don’t realize how smart he is. He’s super smart, and people who don’t realize that suffer the consequences.”
JM executive TV producer Mike McKinnis
“One thing that stands out to me is how much I learned from him about leadership, about running a business, how to treat people. In my 30-plus-year career, there’s nobody been better at all those three things than Bruce.
“B.A.S.S. is a challenging business because it has so many arms and constituents, and Bruce can sit right there in the middle and he is diplomatic and fair to all of those groups equally, which is really hard to do.
“He’s a really smart guy. He doesn’t forget anything. He’s obviously good with numbers, which is really important. He’s good with people and understands how to get them all going in the right direction.
“Bruce strengthened all of the pieces that needed to be strengthened. Just shepherding the whole thing through, initially getting everything on the right track and then recognizing how powerful LIVE could be when we started in 2015. He’s good at recognizing what we need to spend time on, and what we don’t need to spend time on.”
John Mazurkiewicz, Bass Fishing Hall of Fame president
“Not only has Bruce Akin been a key force in raising the awareness of bass fishing and tournament anglers through his efforts at B.A.S.S. over the past decade, he also has a passionate personal interest in in the sport. His volunteer Board of Directors role with the American Sportfishing Association has helped our industry’s trade association in its efforts with organizational, financial and conservation initiatives, and he continues to support the mission of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in celebrating, promoting and preserving the sport of bass fishing.
“For all those on the business side of the fishing industry, while we wish Bruce the best in his retirement, we look forward to his continued support and guidance in these efforts.”
TV host Mark Zona
“In 10 years, the fishing industry has had so many extreme highs and we had lows, and Bruce, in my eyes, was stability. Bruce brought stability through all of those times.
“Bruce was always just a calm rock, and I have a lot of respect for that. Bruce had to wear a lot of hats, from taking care of anglers, to sponsors to venues, a lot of hats. I did not know Bruce very well when he came to B.A.S.S., but boy, through the years, just a massive amount of respect. Bruce is one of those people who cannot be replaced.”
B.A.S.S. general manager Carol Stone
“I love working with him,” Stone said. “I came to B.A.S.S. 8 ½ years ago and, working directly with him on a daily basis, I certainly have enjoyed every minute of it.
“He’s extremely intelligent and is also a very personable, caring person. He steps back and really assess the situation. He always seems to figure out or just know what is the right way to move forward. Probably one of the smartest business people I know. He always seems to know what to do. He’s quick. The math he can do is amazing.
“It’s unusual to find a person who’s got that CPA background and knows how to market a brand. Thirdly, the quick humor, that’s what makes him so well-rounded and wonderful to work with. He’s definitely a great person to work with and for, great for our company. Absolutely sad to see him go, but happy for him and his future.”