Ricardo was the founder, President and Publisher/CEO of La Voz Newspaper, a Spanish language weekly newspaper serving the Phoenix market. Conceptualization began in March of 1999 when he anticipated the unprecedented growth of the Hispanic population in Maricopa County. Ricardo was responsible for all aspects of design, editorial policy and corporate vision. He also directed all sales efforts. In the first year of operations, La Voz reached a record in annual total sales among Arizona Spanish language publications. La Voz became the obvious choice for the Arizona Republic; Mr. Torres successfully completed the sale of his paper to Gannett in August 2003.
Prior to his publishing career, Ricardo was a pioneer of Spanish language radio in Arizona. A dynamic, entrepreneurial sales and operational strategist, Mr. Torres served Z-Spanish Media's Phoenix cluster of stations in several capacities, including Vice President/General Manager. His leadership resulted in the organization exceeding sales quotas and profitability projections.
Ricardo is active in community-based initiatives and a supporter of Latino non-profit organizations including Valle del Sol, Chicanos Por la Causa, and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He serves as a board member for ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, the John C. Lincoln Health Foundation, St. Luke's Health Initiatives, The Suns Charities Board and the Arizona Latino Media Association. |