Our condolences to family and friends on the passing of Tony Wales, a dear MAI friend, on October 28, 2025. Tony was a founding member of Lion Publishing (now Lion Hudson), and for over thirty years directed Lion’s international rights, marketing, production and publishing. Following his retirement, Tony served for six years on MAI’s international Board. He’s offered training to Christian publishers and writers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
A strategic, passionate and fun mentor and trainer
“Tony Wales was not only a strategic player in the growth of Christian publishing in its formative years, but passionate about passing on a rich legacy to others as an entrepreneur of creative thought and the published word. As a wonderful mentor and trainer, his commitment over the years to MAI has resulted in many Christian publishers and writers from around the world today, who were first inspired by Tony having connected with them many years ago.
His passion for spreading the good news infected everything he put his hands to—including putting ‘fun’ into fundraising. He turned his skills into providing an ironing service for a modest charge, and sported a pair of walking boots to join a 100-mile sponsored walk from Greenwich to Oxford called ‘3 men in their boots.’ Over £8,000 was raised, enabling many delegates to attend an MAI-Europe Publishers and Writers Forum in 2010 at Hoddesdon, UK.
As a fellow traveler with Tony over the years in our publishing careers at Lion Publishing and Lion Hudson, his friendship, integrity and wisdom will always be remembered. We are all beneficiaries of Tony’s legacy—well done, good and faithful servant!”
Rodney Shepherd, Former Chair MAI-Europe and MAI International Board
An invaluable encourager committed to prayer and excellence
“Tony was an invaluable encourager of MAI ever since its founding in 1985. He gave generously of his time and expertise as a trainer at our LittWorld conferences and training workshops in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia—drawing from his decades of publishing experience in international sales, marketing and production.
The son of missionaries to Africa, Tony was a ‘world Christian’ in every sense, eager to strengthen the church and Christian publishing around the world. I will not forget his commitment to excellence, his love for the Lord and desire to make Him known, his sense of humor, his commitment to prayer and his gift of friendship.”
John Maust, Former MAI President
A global and selfless equipper and enabler of Christian publishers
“Tony was a global encourager and enabler of those in Christian publishing. His marketing role in Lion Publishing meant that we would meet at the Frankfurt Book Fair or during his marketing visits to southeast Asia.
Tony gave selflessly of his time, energy and wisdom so that fledgling publishers like myself could tap into his vast store of experience. When I was Chair of MAI-Asia, he would often put me in touch with others in the Asian publishing space that he had met and whom he was encouraging.
During one of my earliest trips to Chicago for our MAI annual Board meeting, he drove me on a small sightseeing trip to the outer suburbs of Chicagoland. It was a personal tutorial on all things MAI and he also shared freely from his vast knowledge of Christian publishers in Asia. Tony walked the talk, and he volunteered with us as a speaker during our first Asian Publishing Forum and the first LittWorld in Singapore. He will be sorely missed.”
Bernice Lee, Former Chair MAI-Asia
A generous, experienced and kind “Iron Man”
“The MAI community has greatly benefited from Tony Wales’ generous sharing of his wealth of publishing experience and expertise.
I, for one, had sat at his feet, soaking in tips and advice on sales, marketing, production, and distribution, so I could pass on his teachings to global publishers in my role as MAI’s director of publisher development. Several of Tony’s MAI training materials were quoted or used as exhibits in Profit & Purpose: A Global Publisher’s Guide for Financial Sustainability.
I am personally grateful to Tony and was a recipient of his kindness. As an MAI-Europe trustee at that time, Tony helped raise funds to enable my joining the MAI staff team in 2012. He did this while ironing for neighbors and friends in the UK. I got teary-eyed when I later learned of his sacrificial, practical and creative fundraiser effort. When I’m asked to share how the Lord called me to serve at MAI, I would refer to Tony as my ‘Iron Man.’”
Ramon Rocha, MAI Director of Publisher Development