Puzzler Media, Managing Director

Winner of the ACE Outstanding Achievement Award 2009

Topic - Things I have Learned in Life

Mel spent 19 years with leading UK retailer WH Smith, starting in outdoor advertising and then moving to magazine wholesaling where he was responsible for supplying magazines and newspapers to newsagents. A move to the head office retail buying division brought with it a close working relationship with UK publishing houses, giving Mel a unique insight into the industry and a position of enormous advantage: then, if WH Smith wouldn't stock a title, it was doomed to failure.

In 1981 he went to work for publisher Richard Desmond at Northern and Shell as publishing director and then managing director. Mel got his first taste of the puzzling industry in 1984 when he was headhunted by Keesing UK.

The dominant puzzling house BEAP Ltd invited Mel to join them as Managing Director in 1995. Since then he has overseen BEAP's acquisition of Keesing and VNU's subsequent acquisition of BEAP. He led the management buy out in 2002 and the subsequent disposal of ABN Amro's investment to John Leng & Co (December 2005 - News) and the name change to Puzzler Media Ltd in 2003.

Mel lives in Otford, Kent with his wife and has two children. He's an active director of the news trade's charity NewstrAID, a former school parents' association member, and a keen golfer and gardener. An ardent Welsh rugby fan and Chelsea FC supporter, he enjoys doing puzzles on holiday.

Retail Director, Comag

Topic: The Power of Magazines

After graduating from Warwick University, Charlotte started work with the WHSmith Group on a development programme that included roles at Watersones and Our Price, after which she moved to the wholesale division and worked in a number of strategy and project roles.

In the late '90's she moved to Edinburgh to project manage the WHS acquisition of Menzies Retail, after which she joined the Board of WHS Travel as IS and Logistics Director and was responsible for managing the rollout of EPOS and intranet to all stores, also leading the associated change management that this required across the business. She was also responsible for the WHS Travel Distribution Centre, supplying all stores on a daily basis with all categories, excluding newspapers and magazines.

Charlotte then moved to the US Travel division of WHS, initially to strengthen the working relationships between the two Travel divisions, but latterly to support the sale and closure of the airport and hotel businesses.

On her return from the US, Charlotte supported WHS Retail in their year-long chair of the news industry's Joint Industry Group, and as part of this, represented the British Retail Consortium in the initial stages of the OFT Competition discussions.

Charlotte has been Retail Director of COMAG since July 2004, leading a team of Channel Managers and National Account Managers in championing publishers' interests at retail. Charlotte is a leading member of the PPA's Retail Marketing Group, working closely with the other key distributor Sales Directors to protect and promote magazines at retail.

Retail Sales Director, Marketforce

Topic: The Power of Magazines

Oliver joined Marketforce in June 2006 from Kimberly-Clark where he held a number of retailer facing roles.

After graduating from Lancaster University in 1991 Oliver started his working life as a sales representative on the south coast for Grand Met Foods, where he then went on to roles in national account management and trade marketing. 1996 saw him make a move to Allied Domecq, a global spirits and wine business, with brands such as Beefeater Gin, Tia Maria and Montana Wines.

Oliver then moved to Kimberly-Clark in 2001, where he gained valuable experience working with the major retailers across Europe, both as head of European Category Management and latterly as Customer Management Development director for Europe.

Head of International, Marketforce

Topic: Selling Magazines and Newspapers on the International Landscape

After graduating from Durham University, Lizanne has worked in the magazine circulation industry for over 15 years holding a number of different circulation roles with publishers and distributors.

She held the role of Export Manager at Comag before covering Asia for CMG US, and more recently has worked for the US exporter ICS.  Currently she is Head of International at Marketforce.

Head of Retail Strategy, News International

Winner: ACE Newspaper Promotion of the Year 2008

Topic: How to Create a Blockbuster Newspaper Sales Promotion as achieved by The Sun

Katharine was promoted to the role of Head of Retail Strategy at News International in August 2009. Katharine served as Senior Retail Trade Marketing Manager from joining News International in 2007. In this role she has worked with a number of retailers to grow sales of The Sun, The News of The World, the Times and The Sunday Times.

Katharine's career started as a graduate trainee with Marks and Spencer, working her way around a number of stores in various management roles. She was appointed manager of her first store, Barnsley, in 1996, and then moved to Blackpool store prior to leaving the company in 1999. She then took a career change and moved to Yorkshire Post Newspapers as Newspaper Sales Manager, managing all aspects of the newspaper marketing plan, including HND, loyalty schemes, retail customer management, subscriptions, direct mail, and above the line activity.

In 2005 she moved to The National Magazine company as Head of Retail Marketing, working with the key multiples to deliver an effective and creative retail plan for all of the Natmags titles. She was also part of the launch team for Reveal and Real People, and developed the value pack format as a new category promotion.

Katharine is married, and spends much of her time travelling, between homes in London and East Sussex, family in Leeds and Liverpool, and foreign trips as often as possible.

Managing Director, Conde Nast

Topic: Exploring a Great Global Magazine Phenomenon – Case Study: Vogue Magazine

Nicholas Coleridge's career in journalism began more than 30 years ago when, in 1975, at the age of 18, he had his first article published in NatMags' Harpers & Queen, a title he edited between 1986 and 1989.

He has been at the helm of British Condé Nast since 1991 and has overseen the company's online expansion into 11 countries, through Condé Nast Interactive.

The company's successful transfer of its magazine brands into the online world has happened alongside investment in online-only destinations, including emerging web technologies such as content aggregator site Reddit.

When not running one of Britain's best-known publishers, the married father of four is also a well known author, having published 10 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including best-sellers The Fashion Conspiracy, Godchildren and A Much Married Man.

Nicholas Coleridge was awarded a CBE in HM The Queen’s 2009 Birthday Honours List for Services to the Magazine Publishing Industry.

Supply Chain Director, Frontline

Topic: Supply Chain Management – Copy Allocation, an Art or Science?

Simon Davidson worked initially in Production and Operations management with Express Dairy Foods prior to moving into Logistics management with British Bakeries. He then moved to the Music industry culminating as VP of European Logistics for Sony Music. From there he became UK Logistics Director for L’Oreal prior to taking the Group Supply Chain Director’s role at Gallaher. After a spell in strategy consultancy with Credo, Simon joined Frontline as Supply Chain Director in April 2004.

The major part of the job is ensuring that Frontline’s service to retailers and consumers is of consistently high quality and developing in line with the changing needs of the market so that the sales of our Partner’s magazines are maximised. A key part of the role is managing relationships with Customers, Partners, Suppliers and Competitors to help ensure that the industry’s joint supply chain is developing in the best direction at the right pace.

Simon works in Peterborough but lives in Devon.  He is married, no children, one dog and loves music, films, food, skiing, gardening, holidays, and learning to fly.

Subscriptions Manager, Daily Mail & The Mail on Sunday

Topic: Using Interactive Media to Sell Newspapers and Magazines

A member of the ACE First 50 Club

James started in the industry with Dawson News in 1993, before joining the Menzies Management Trainee Scheme where he was given the position of Newspaper Sales Manager in a London branch. After 5 years with Menzies, he entered the publishing arena as a Regional Sales Manager with the European and Sunday Business. Two years later James joined the Independent Newspaper as a Sales and Marketing Manager. His responsibilities included the retail sales of the Independent in the South of England and various sales, marketing and conference initiatives nationally.

After 4 years with the Independent, James joined The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, initially within the supply chain, before being appointed as New Business Manager then moving to Independent Retail Trade Marketing Manager. After two years as Trade Marketing Manager, he moved onto Key National Accounts Manager, responsible for many retail multiple groups including Tesco & WHSmiths. In 2009, James was appointed as Subscriptions Manager responsible for the successful launch and development of the Daily Mail's & The Mail on Sunday's new subscription programme.

James is married with two children and currently enjoys running, music, films and learning to fly.

General Manager, Magazines, for Menzies Distribution

Topic: Working with Distributors & Publishers – a Wholesaler’s Perspective

Peter joined Menzies in March 1982 and other than a brief sojourn to NWC has been a Menzies employee ever since.

In that time he was a Management Trainee held posts as Assistant and Branch Managers and joined the Menzies Marketing Department in 1999.

Currently he manages the Account relationship and Allocation processes for all magazines distributed by Menzies Distribution.

He holds a DipM in Marketing gained through an intense Managers course at Stirling University.

Managing Director, Jones Yarrell Leadenhall

Topic: What are untapped opportunities to grow magazine sales through corporate businesses?

Sarah took the reigns as Managing Director at Corporate News delivery specialists, Jones Yarrel leadenhall (JYL) in July this year after moving within the John Menzies Group from Menzies Digital where she worked as MD for 9 months previously.

Sarah has enjoyed a wide and varied media career for nearly 20 years starting in advertising sales in regional press before moving to London to work on Haymarket’s Campaign magazine followed by a number of specialist titles.

11 years at Emap (now Bauer) Consumer Magazines, Sarah worked predominantly in the youth and entertainment markets including Q and Smash Hits before being involved in the launch of Heat. During her time at Emap she enjoyed a year in Australia in customer publishing also working on a launch website with HMV Australia (and the Foo Fighters!) before returning as General Manager on Smash Hits predominantly instigating and managing a new and innovative CD Rom cover mount strategy, hugely impacting sales at that time.

Sarah then moved internally to Emap TV to commercially oversee a number of usic channels launch including Smash Hits, Kiss, kerrang! and Q.

After leaving the Emap fold, Sarah moved into the role of Marketing Director at Clear Channel – Music (now Live Nation) managing a multimillion pound budget promoting ticket sales for artists such as U2 and Madonna. A Commercial Director position, then joint MD role at Popworld followed before Sarah joined the US owned digital magazine company Zinio setting up and developing what was then a very new and emerging digital business in the UK.

Chief Executive, The NewstrAid Benevolent Fund

Topic: NewstrAid the Adopted Industry Charity

Alex joined the WH Smith Wholesale group in 1979, after 10 years in the Army. In 1996, he joined the Telegraph Group plc and was appointed Circulation Manager of The Spectator, which was then owned by The Telegraph.

He spent 10 years enjoying a job, which saw circulation rise dramatically, although he is quick to lay the blame for this at the door of the editors, Frank Johnson and Boris Johnson.

He has worked, in a voluntary capacity, for NewstrAid since 1985, but was given the job of chief executive officer in November 2005.