Lin grew up in Lubbock, Texas (Coronado High School class of 1990). After earning his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University, he earned an MBA in International Business from the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management. He then started a successful career in sales and marketing, first with Novartis, where he moved his sales territory from 36th of 36 territories to 2nd, earning the top Circle of Excellence Sales Award.
Lin then moved to the cruise industry, working for Carnival Cruise Line, first as a business development manager in Portland, Oregon, and then in Miami, Florida, as Carnival’s Supervisor of Marketing Projects with their first internet marketing team. He completed his Carnival experience as the Manager of Retail Development and Marketing, where he led the creation of the Carnival Vacation Store interactive retail kiosks, winning the 2002 Retail Design Award for e-tailing/interactive sites. He was appointed Manager of Internet Marketing shortly thereafter.
Lin continued his digital marketing work with ICE Enterprise, where he oversaw the launch of online booking engines for a number of recognizable brands such as Delta SkyMiles, Merrill Lynch, USAA, American Express, and Barclays Carnival SeaMiles. He then moved on to American Express as the Senior Manager of eCommerce New Product Development, managing their online Cruise & Vacations business. He finished his full-time industry work with the pioneering digital marketing agency imc2, where, among others, he had clients in the cruise industry.
After his successful industry career, Lin earned his Ph.D. in Marketing at Texas Tech University, where he also worked as an instructor. He moved on to Ithaca College in New York as Assistant Professor of Marketing in 2015. In 2017, he returned to Miami as Assistant Professor of Marketing at Florida International University, where he taught in the Ph.D. and Master of Science in Marketing programs, as well as served on dissertations for doctoral students.
Professionally, Lin was devoted to both his teaching and his research. He put considerable time into course preparation, often creating comprehensive instructional videos that informed, engaged, and entertained. On the research side, in the past year alone Lin’s co-authored papers won 2021 Paper of the Year (in Marketing Education Review), Honorable Mention for 2021 Outstanding Article of the Year (in Journal of Marketing Education), and a conference best paper award (with one of his doctoral students). He also published in highly acclaimed interdisciplinary journals.
Local and national media outlets regularly sought out Lin for his expert commentary on digital marketing, social media, and buyer psychology. His academic publishing focused on digital marketing, social media, and how to best educate students. Lin’s students knew him as an energetic, knowledgeable, and very giving professor, whose lectures and teaching videos were often peppered with fun facts from 1980s and 1990s entertainment trivia. His colleagues in both academia and industry knew him the same way: energetic, knowledgeable, and giving.
Lin was an avid cruiser and seemed to know not only every cruise line and the wonderful people who worked there, but also information about each ship as well. He was a great resource with respect to digital and social media marketing, travel, and caregiving.
Over the past several years, Lin was dedicated to caring for his aging mother and their dogs. Even during these busy and trying times, he remained witty, helped anyone in need, and was always available to provide support and humor for his many friends.
We will miss you Lin Humphrey, and we thank you for the joy that you brought into our lives.
Published by Legacy Remembers on May 18, 2022.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/william-humphrey-obituary?id=34768464
