I began executive coaching at the start of 2017 and graduated through the respected Meyler Campbell Mastered program. Before that I had a successful 35 year career as an executive director on the boards of three of the leading international trade publishers. I worked in the UK as well as the US, Australia and New Zealand, and travelled extensively in most other regions of the world. I have also been a Non-Executive Director on boards in England, Scotland, South Africa and Singapore. I retired as a main board director of Penguin Random House, the Book Publishing Division of Bertelsmann at the end of 2015.
Prior to being a board director at Penguin Random House UK and Random House UK Ltd I was President International for Random House Inc in New York. Other boards I have served on include, Macmillan Ltd, Pan Books Ltd, Pan Macmillan Australia and New Zealand and William Collins Australia and New Zealand. I have both established new and managed the acquisition of existing companies in the UK, Australia, NZ, India and South Africa as well as leading significant elements of two international mergers.
My responsibilities during my time at Random House and Penguin Random House included being Chairman of the subsidiary companies in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India; Executive Chairman of the Ebury Publishing Division; Chairman of Random House Distribution and IT services; and Head of all UK and International sales. (At one time sixty percent of the Random House UK Group staff reported to me).
Given this diverse portfolio I was involved in strategic planning, scrutinising financial performance, advising on international expansion, running major projects and was part of all major negotiations with global or national suppliers, customers, clients and unions.
Directing senior executives in the UK and international markets through both mergers and acquisitions means I have very practical knowledge of change leadership which in turn has honed my mentoring skills. While I enjoy solving problems I get even greater pleasure from helping others to find those solutions, so mentoring both senior staff and rising talent has always been a key component of my management philosophy. By applying this I have been able to ensure that my reports around the world produced consistently good results, were able to see and grasp opportunities for growth, and managed their people well. My managers have suggested that my ability to really listen to them, together with a good amount of emotional intelligence made communication with me easy and effective.
Executive Board Experience
Penguin Random House,UK & Intl. Reporting to CEO PRH International 2013 – 2015
Company revenues £590 million, number of employees 3000
· Main Board director, Head of operations (UK and Overseas)
· Chairman of Penguin Random House Distribution
· Leading Integration program in India and South Africa
Random House Group UK Ltd reporting to CEO Random House Group 2001 - 2013
Company revenues £300 million, number of employees 1400
· Main Board director, Head of Operations (UK and Overseas)
· Executive Chairman Ebury Publishing
· Chairman of RH Australia, RH New Zealand, RH India
· Head of Worldwide Sales
· Chairman of Random House Distribution
· 60% of all company staff reporting to me
Random House Inc. (owned by Bertelsmann) reporting to CEO/COO 1997 – 2001
Company revenues US$1 billion, number of employees 3500
· President, Random House International, ( for the merged Advance and Bertelsmann publishing companies)
· Chairman of Random House Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
· Head of worldwide sales outside US/UK
Random House Inc. (owned by Advance Publications) reporting to CEO/COO 1993 – 1997
Company revenues US$ $700 million, number of employees 2700
· President, Random House International & Chair of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
Macmillan Publishers Ltd reporting to CEO 1987 – 1993
Company revenues £70m, number of employees 350
· Main Board Director of Macmillan Publishers Ltd,
· Chairman of Pan Macmillan’s overseas companies,
· Sales and Marketing Director, Pan Macmillan UK
Pan Macmillan Australia Pty. Ltd. reporting to CEO 1982 – 1987
. Main Board Director
. Managing Director of Australia and Chair of New Zealand
Pan Books Australia Pty Ltd. reporting to CEO 1981 - 1982
. Founding Director
. Sales and Marketing Director
Wm. Collins Australia Pty. Ltd. reporting to CEO 1980 – 1981
. Main Board Director
. Marketing Director
Wm. Collins Publishers New Zealand Ltd. reporting to CEO 1977 – 1980
· Main Board Director
· Sales and Marketing Director
Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1969 – 1977
· Early career, first as a sales representative in the UK and Eire, then three years as an area manager in Europe and the Middle East.
Non - Executive Director Experience
London Book Fair Advisory Board 2006 – 2011
· Member of a Board set up to advise Reed Exhibitions Fair Director and team after a disastrous Fair in 2005.
Mainstream Publishing Ltd, Scotland 2005 - 2013
. Representing the Random House Group’s 50% shareholding on the board of this Scottish Publisher based in Edinburgh Annual revenues = £3million.
Random House Struik, South Africa 2005 – 2013
· Representing the Random House Group’s 49% shareholding on the board of this South African Publisher. RH Struik was part of the Avusa Group, now the Times Media Group in SA.
Annual revenues = 70million Rand (£3.5million)
Pansing Distribution Sdn Bhd, Singapore 1988 – 1993
. Representing Pan Macmillan’s 25% shareholding on the board of this Book Distributor in Singapore and Malaysia.
Annual revenues = Sing$ 6million (£2.8million)