Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dennis Holt
It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of USIM Founder and Chairman Dennis Holt. Dennis was more than a pioneering force in the media industry, he was a kind, generous, and deeply respected person who made everyone around him feel seen, heard, and supported. While his visionary approach to business reshaped the landscape of independent media, it was his humanity that made the deepest and most lasting impression. He led with heart, and it showed – in his friendships, his mentorship, and his unwavering belief in the potential of people.
Our entire USIM family is grieving this tremendous loss and holding close in our thoughts his beloved wife, Brooks, and his three children, Clayton, Alexis, and Ashley. Dennis built this company with integrity, care, and a boldness that continues to define our culture. His legacy is etched not only into the evolution of our industry, but into the lives of the many people he inspired and uplifted along the way.
Dennis’ life story was marked by both resilience and relentless drive. The son of a Swedish immigrant, Dennis experienced hardship early on. When he was just 12, his father suffered multiple heart attacks and could no longer work, leaving the family to navigate years of financial struggle. Despite these challenges, Dennis earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he studied public administration. To support himself, he worked three part-time jobs and began selling radio airtime, laying the foundation for what would become one of the most influential careers in advertising.
Dennis quickly rose through the ranks, eventually being tapped by RKO to run a one-person office in San Francisco. That led to a national role selling television airtime in New York, and soon after, he set out on his own. In the 1960s, Dennis launched U.S. Media, a groundbreaking agency that for the first time banded small buyers together to access prime-time advertising. That bold idea helped spark a multi-billion dollar industry. In 1970, he founded Western International Media (now Initiative Media) in Los Angeles, which revolutionized media management and transformed how advertisers operated across multiple industries. Under his leadership, Western became the largest media management company in North America, with 40 subsidiaries, before Dennis sold the company in 1995.
Never one to slow down, Dennis returned to his entrepreneurial roots in 2004 when he launched U.S. International Media (USIM). With a vision of combining cutting-edge strategy with personalized service, he once again broke new ground – building one of the most successful independent media agencies in the nation.
Throughout his career, Dennis received many well-deserved accolades. He was named a Horatio Alger Award recipient as a member of the Class of 1998, an honor that recognized his perseverance through adversity, integrity, and commitment to helping others rise. He was also recently nominated for the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame, a testament to the transformative impact he had on the industry he helped shape. A true philanthropist, Dennis also co-founded AdRelief, a charitable organization designed to help people during times of life crisis, and he also was a founding member of Rebuild LA, which formed after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Though Dennis stepped back from day-to-day operations at USIM over the past few years, his influence remains embedded in every part of the organization. He built a company that has grown beyond even his own imagination – one rooted in innovation, driven by excellence, and guided by the values he held dear. USIM today is led by a strong and seasoned leadership team committed to carrying forward Dennis’ vision and ensuring the business continues to thrive for years to come.
This is a heartbreaking loss, for our company, our industry, and for everyone who had the privilege of knowing Dennis. But in the business he built and the countless lives he touched, his presence endures. We remain inspired by his legacy, and our hearts are with his family as we honor the life of a truly extraordinary man.