“I have had a number of opportunities to get involved in other projects in the industry,” said Thirlby, who has returned to his role of managing director at AHT Consulting.

“I wanted to maintain my presence in and exposure to the market, which you can lose if you are stuck in a corporate environment.”

He retains a strong relationship with Heidelberg and will still spend most of his time working for the print giant’s team and customers on its Smart Print Shop and subscription sales offerings.

Initially, he will focus on a number of global projects, one in Australia and another in North America. He added that at some point he will also be getting more involved in the UK market again. He is currently a non-exec at Telford-based publications printer Precision Colour Printing.

“This is like going back to school,” he said of his next step.

“ESP was my degree, Heidelberg was my masters, now I’m embarking on my postgraduate studies.”

Thirlby started his most recent role at Heidelberg just over a year ago. He began working for the manufacturer in 2016, after taking on the role of general manager for Heidelberg’s worldwide Prinect business.

He had left Pureprint two months prior, after overseeing a raft of investments and productivity improvements at the group.

Prior to joining Pureprint Thirlby was managing director at ESP Colour in Swindon, where he established himself as a worldwide authority on print automation, process improvement, and the industrialisation of printing processes.