Why “If you ever say to nick that something can’t be done, his response will be ‘then you probably haven’t given it enough thought’,” says a colleague. “Driven, down to earth and extremely loyal, Snelson always keeps his promises”.
Why How many managing directors of circa £40m businesses would literally get on their bikes to try an identify ways they can improve their operation? That’s what Broadway did earlier this year. “He may not be one of those ‘in your face’ inspirational leaders,” said one source “but he inspires his team by challenging them in a collegial way”. And it’s an approach that seems to pay off, although it doesn’t stop him from making brave business decisions like launching a service to help firms move printed critical documents online for free because as he says “if you’re not attacking your market, then someone else will”.
Why “A tough negotiator, but always fair and reasonable in business, he is an energetic and passionate leader with an unstoppable drive for results,” says one colleague about Hodgkinson, purchasing director for the Penguin Group and global operations director at Dorling Kindersley (DK), both of which became part of Penguin Random House last year. Responsible for reviewing DK’s manufacturing strategy, Hodgkinson has strengthened partnerships and developed efficiencies in both Asia and Europe this year.
Why While much of RDI managing director Laybourne’s year has been taken up with bedding in the firm’s multimillion-pound investment in new kit, his personal highlight was probably his new speedboat. A seasoned water skier, Laybourne prefers to take a more considered approach to business and is described by one source as a “methodical leader, whose strength is keeping people focused”. It’s not just been a year of spending though. Most recently the firm has inked a big deal in the insurance sector, which is set to come on stream early next year.
Why There was a time when Moo.com had few rivals, but the rest of print has caught on and its slick and professional offering is now much mimicked. It is testament to Moross’ skills that the company has managed to still differentiate itself. One great way they have been doing this is by using resident artists to design cards, while it has also kept up with the quick turnaround times now key to e-tail – next day is the minimum. You would expect nothing less from design-aficionado Moross, whose advertising background ensures he doesn’t just know what makes good design, he knows how to sell it to the customer too.
Why As head of print, production and data quality at Aimia, which is the parent company of loyalty scheme Nectar, Paul Dykes is responsible for a significant volume of mailings. A deep understanding of marketing, loyalty schemes and direct mail and clear idea of what he wants make Dykes a good but formidable client. He has a keen sense of the challenges that DM faces, particularly in regard to the cost of postage and is an advocate of the need for creativity to make campaigns deliver. Praised for his fortitude and resilience. Outside of work he’s passionate about his team Liverpool.
Why Gibbons is described as “always cheerful, very focused and very demanding – but also reasonable.” Under his stewardship The firm continues to plough a successful furrow thanks to a focus on the ‘KISS’ mantra – keep it simple, stupid.
Why If you cut Moore he would probably bleed ink. The industry stalwart, who joined Thorsons (later part of Harper Collins) straight from school, has had his share of ups and downs, but his keen business acumen ensures he’s had more hits than misses. You need only look at the resurgence at Eclipse, where he took a £4.5m loss-making division of an ultimately doomed business and turned it into a profitable group with sales of around £40m, for evidence. One industry observer nominated him for his knowledge, passion and an ability to give an “innovative and full-service offering” to clients.
Why Virgin is one of the biggest mailers in the UK with 7m DM packs per month and 14m door drops, which may dwarf arch-rival Sky. As senior category manager, marketing production, for the marketing procurement team Marsh is the man with day-to-day responsibility for making it happen. He is described as “a lovely friendly chap, who understands the timelines and ridiculous demands of the marketing team”. Talking of ridiculous demands he’s a genius at delivering campaigns that combine low costs with high impact. “He’ll do anything legal and within reason for V Festival tickets,” quipped one advocate.
Why Last year Anthony Thirlby set his sights on getting down to two-minute makereadies; unsurprisingly, he succeeded. Heidelberg has just crowned Thirlby as ‘World champion for net output and shortest makeready times’. It’s hard for the rest of us to imagine where to wring out more cost. Not for Thirlby – rumour has it that new hand dryers were fitted to shave off seconds per pee. The result was a not to be sniffed at £250 per month time saving. While obsessive about saving time on the shop floor he’s always got time to offer advice, strong opinions or just banter, to anyone in the industry.
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