Jorge Arauz

Jorge Arauz is an American editor who is the Group Editorial Director & Editor-in-Chief for 20 international, national and regional lifestyle publications from South Florida to South Asia for publishing houses Maxposure Media Group, TAG Media, Marine Media Works and Blue Marble Partners, Inc. Previously, he was the Group Managing Editor for Perfect Vision Media Group, managing titles LRM, Las Olas, Modernista, Florida Classic Home, International Yachtsman, International Yachtsman Español and Perfect Bride. He was also the Group Executive Editor for Global OmniMedia launching and helming titles LiV and Grand Views.
Family life & education
Jorge Arauz was born October 15, 1981 in Miami Beach, Florida. He is of Cuban descent. Arauz graduated from Coral Gables High School in 2000, the same year as Jonathan Vilma, American football linebacker and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (Associated Press). Arauz also later attended the University of Miami with Vilma.
In May 2004, Arauz earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Miami's College of Arts & Sciences.
Early career
While in high school and college, Arauz served as a Reporter, News Editor and Managing Editor for Highlights, The Miami Hurricane and First Impression. Throughout his time as a student journalist, he and his staff earned national honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) including a "Gold Crown" (CSPA, 1998), “Best Newspaper” (SPJ, 2003) and “Newspaper of the Year” (ACP, 2004).
In 2001, Arauz earned CSPA's “Best Photo Portfolio” for his documentary photo essay of the Elian Gonzalez riots in Miami. In 2003, he received the “Outstanding Achievement in News Writing” award from Knight Ridder for his year-long coverage of religious and racial tensions on the University of Miami campus in the months following the September 11 attacks.
In 2004, while interning at Miami Beach-based Perfect Vision Media Group, Arauz was offered a position as Group Assistant Editor for the publishing house’s 3 flagship titles, LRM, Las Olas and International Yachtsman. Later that year, he was promoted to Group Associate Editor. In 2005, he was promoted to Managing Editor, launching design titles Modernista and Florida Classic Home as well as bridal title Perfect Bride and Spanish-language quarterly, International Yachtsman Español. He also served as Copy Editor for the publisher's custom-publishing division, which included projects for The Miami International Wine Fair.
International titles
In 2006, Arauz and Publisher Vikas Johari launched & Magazine under the Maxposure Media Group umbrella from a dorm room while studying at the University of Miami. After multiple launches in Miami, New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the publication relocated its headquarters from Miami Beach, Florida, to Mumbai, India. Arauz subsequently launched an Indian edition of the magazine, entitled ANDpersand, and other titles including AndMore (Fashion & Style), Forms (Interior Design & Architecture), The BEAT (City & Lifestyle), Building Blocks (Luxury Real Estate) and Mercedes Magazine (Luxury Lifestyle & Automobiles).
The company also has a creative solutions, advertising and marketing division, MaXcom; an online outsourcing division, MaXposure Digital; and an events division, Equator.
In August 2009, the company began publishing SpiceRoute for SpiceJet Airlines. The in-flight magazine was the second custom-publishing project for Maxposure Media Group (India) after Beyond Luxury.
In October 2009, Maxposure Media Group (India) launched Estetica (India). It was the magazine's 25th international launch. In October 2010, Maxposure Media Group launched Estetica (Middle East), published in English and Arabic. The magazine is distributed across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries including United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
In June 2010, Maxposure Media Group (India) acquired the rights to publish the Indian Edition of FHM (India) from the UK's Bauer Media Group and launched Touchdown Magazine, the official magazine of Mumbai International Airport a.k.a. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
In September 2010, the company announced plans to launch Meredith Corporation's Diabetic Living (India) as well as Elite Life, the official magazine of ICICI Prudential.
In Summer 2011, after winning a bid to publish the in-flight magazine for Air India, India's oldest and largest airline, Maxposure rebranded the title as Air India Magazine. It features editorial coverage in both English and Hindi and reaches more than 2.5 million readers monthly. The acquisition positioned MaXposure as India's largest in-flight magazine publisher and the 2nd largest custom media publisher in India.
In July 2011, , Europe's largest printing and publishing firm, acquired a majority interest in Maxposure Media Group, with plans to launch new products in the consumer and publishing segments while simultaneously expanding their mobile and online platforms.
Currently Maxposure Media Group (India) and its wholly owned subsidiaries maintain headquarters in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Calcutta and Dubai.
Regional titles
In 2007, Arauz began helming U.S. regional publications Wave, Brickell Magazine, Key Biscayne Magazine and SOFI (South of Fifth & The Islands).
Together, the titles reach some of Florida's most affluent neighborhoods. In South Florida, these include Miami’s global financial sector, Brickell (also known as "The Manhattan of the South" and “The Wall Street of the South”) in Downtown Miami; Key Biscayne, where the Sony Ericsson Open is held annually; and the suburbs of Miami Beach and South Beach including , , and Hibiscus Island as well as residential hi-rises in the SoFi District and waterfront estates along North Bay Road. Focusing on "The Great Outdoors," Wave is exclusively distributed in South FLorida with The Miami Herald to subscribers in affluent waterfront zip codes in areas including Aventura, Bal Harbour, Boca Raton, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, Golden Beach, Sunny Isles and The Keys. The magazine's Gulf Coast edition covers Tampa, Naples, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Captiva, Sanibel and Marco Island. In 2010, the magazine was rebranded as waveLIFE.
Since 2010, Arauz has served as the Executive Chairman for The Culinarian distributed at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Affiliations
As a member of the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), the Florida Magazine Association and the Society of Professional Journalists, Arauz has served as an official judge for the “Cover of the Year” competition for the ASME as well as the “Eddies” and “Ozzies” for the National Folio Awards. His publications have earned honors for "Best New Magazine," "Best Cover," “Best Feature Headlines,” and “Best Photography" from the Florida Magazine Association, Elite Awards, Creativity Awards, Folio Awards, ADDY Awards, Gold Ink Awards and other media awards organizations.
Arauz and his work have appeared in print, television and radio outlets including Associated Press, CNN, Univision, National Public Radio and dozens of broadcasting networks throughout the U.S. and abroad. Arauz also serves as a panelist for media-centered debates and discussions in South Florida hosted by industry organizations including the PRSA.
As an editor, Arauz has interviewed notable figures including Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush as well as sports legend , international Grammy Award-winning entertainer Carlos Vives and author Maya Angelou.
In 2012, Arauz was crowned "Miami's Sexiest Editor" by The Sexiest Awards for his multiple roles in South Florida publishing.
Controversy
In 2003, Arauz served as a board member for the University of Miami's Board of Publications representing Student Government. During the elections process for the 2004 Editor-in-Chief of The Miami Hurricane, it was determined there was a conflict of interest with Arauz's dual position as News Editor and Student Government representative when the incumbent editor, Brian Poliakoff, was defeated by his challenger, Leigha Taber. Members of the Board of Publications determined that Arauz's vote was not valid and he was replaced on the Board by another Student Government representative. Ultimately, Taber won the elections and Arauz was promoted to Managing Editor of the newspaper. He held the position until he graduated in May 2004.
In March 2007, Wave ran a controversial cover spoofing the death of Cuba leader Fidel Castro to coincide with the Calle Ocho Street Festival, one of largest single gatherings of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the world, spanning 23 blocks in Little Havana, Miami, Florida. The hoax yielded international attention. The fictional account within the magazine's "Splashback" section showcased life after Castro, including detailing a mock reverse-flotilla by Cuban-Americans that ensued after the dictator died.

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