Tony Dieken is a 1998 graduate of LaSalle-Peru Township High School. In addition to excelling inside the classroom, he was a three sport/multi-year letter winner in football, wrestling, and track and field, showing himself as hard-working and competitive at an early age. He was blessed with parents who always pushed him to do his best and taught him to never give up, and has carried that way of thinking with him his entire life, taking their advice as his life’s motto. He believes his parents have been very influential in his success and gives them a lot of credit for helping him achieve his goals.
In November 2002, Tony started his career in the Moline Branch as a sales representative. He quickly became one of the pillars of the office, leading in top dollars sold and top number of ads sold most months. He took that success with him when he transferred to the home office in Peoria in 2009, remaining a top leader in sales until he was promoted to the Sales Management Training Team on January 1, 2015. Since then, Tony has worked with our sales staff in each of our locations, teaching and training, using his many years of experience to guide him. Currently, he is the Recruiting Manager, handling recruiting and hiring of the sales staff company wide, each day networking with local organizations to help secure the best candidates to join the team. And on occasion, he will still jump in to help with training.
Residing in Norwood, Illinois, Tony is the father of four boys: Asher, Jordan, Brendan, and Tyler and he frequently says, "They are my world." His dedication and love for his children is the same dedication and care he has for the sales staff at Royal Publishing, always available to help when needed. Nothing makes him feel better than being able to contribute to other people’s success, and the “never give up” attitude he learned as a child is seen in each step along the way.
Though Tony works out of the home office in Peoria, he can frequently be heard on the phone checking in on the new sales representatives in each of our locations, and occasionally will make a personal visit. He realizes starting a new job can be stressful, and is always working towards minimizing that with a friendly smile and a kind word. Peoria or Peru, Galesburg or Moline—come join the Royal Publishing team!