News

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21. Mark Shaw (34) – Bezier

Why With more restructuring and M&A behind him, the year has been a busy one for Shaw. The affable chief executive of Bezier, who cut his teeth in the textiles business, is seen by those around him as the driving force in transforming Bezier from the printer it once was to the international retail marketing agency it’s on its way to becoming. The acquisition of Coutts Retail Communications (CRC) in March gave Bezier the foothold in London it had wanted for so long, as well as its first presence in continental Europe, and pushed the company’s turnover up to around £130m. But Shaw has a steely side, too – the CRC deal led to an announcement early this month that Poulters, the Leeds-based retail marketing agency that Bezier bought two years ago, is to close.

He says CRC’s sites in France and Germany would offer a European presence which we feel is crucial for many of our customers
They say Mark is the man driving the agenda that is changing the face of print and marketing management in the retail and brand sector

22. Richard Gray (24) – Prinovis

Why As managing director of what is said to be Europe’s largest and most advanced gravure supersite, Gray has had his work cut out after taking on the position just under a year ago. Almost three years after construction started at the site in September 2005, a 2.75m and three 4.32m KBA presses are now running at full capacity. Over the past few years, the gravure market has contracted in response to overcapacity, but Gray says that the key to his factory’s strategy is to work with the biggest publishers out there. The Liverpool-based company now boasts work including News International’s weekend supplements contract, and OK! Magazine to name a few. While 2008 will be a year for Gray to let the dust settle at the 65,000m2 facility, he’s not ruled out expanding over the remainder of the 200,000m² site in the near future.

He says We’ve made big steps forward in a short amount of time
They say He’s level-headed with a hands-on approach

23. Toby Marchant (26) – PaperlinX

Why Not satisfied with just being in charge of PaperlinX UK and Ireland, Marchant has recently taken another giant stride up the paper merchanting ladder. As of 1 July, he will take on the role of chief executive of PaperlinX Europe – which in turn has placed him three places higher in the Power 100. The new role involves overseeing 24 operating companies in 18 different countries, which employ around 5,000 staff with a turnover in excess of £2bn. In the UK, merchants under his care include PaperCo, Robert Horne and Howard Smith Paper Group. Colleagues say he is passionate about England’s rugby and cricket teams and he carries this passion into his day job where he thrives in adversity. With challenging times ahead for the paper merchanting market, one of the attractions of his new role are the opportunities for pan-European and international business growth and few would bet against him excelling in this task.

He says As long as you keep customers’ interests top of mind and drive a combination of operational efficiency and added value, we will continue to win in whatever conditions the market throws at us
They say He’s passionate and thinks outside the box

24. John Madejski (23) – Goodhead Group

Why Ranked 214 in the Sunday Times Rich List, and with a personal fortune of £400m, Goodhead Group chairman Madejski OBE DL comes significantly higher in PrintWeek’s Power 100. A well-known philanthropist who has given millions to charitable causes, Madejski is best known by the general public for his role as chairman of Reading FC, which some say epitomises his long-haul attitude – despite relegation last season, he has vowed to stick with the club and its manager Steve Coppell. Similarly, with the UK web offset sector struggling, Madejski could have pulled the plug on BGP. Instead he did the opposite, injecting £25m to fund a major site development and equipment spend, which has subsequently seen a raft of contracts head BGP’s way.

He says You’re only here once, so enjoy it. You come into this world with nothing and you leave with nothing
They say John’s commitment is 100% and you can rely upon it

25. Robert MacMillan (27) – HH Associates

Why Having recently secured a £12.5m finance deal, the future is looking bright for HH Associates and its amicable chief executive MacMillan. A veteran of the print management scene, MacMillan guided HH to a turnover of £83m in 2007 and is reportedly on target for £100m plus turnover this year. Contract wins in the past 12 months have included first-time print management deals with Barclays Wealth and Barclays Capital and a £5m-a-year pan-European contract with insurance giant AIG. The company has also opened its first office in the US, and with its refinancing package including a £2.5m cash flow facility, MacMillan is eyeing potential acquisitions. As one of the early expanders into Europe, HH now has a mature overseas operation, which it will look to exploit – expect more European deals to follow.

He says This year we will have turnover of over £100m
They say His entrepreneurial vision is second to none

26. Richard Gray (17) – BPIF/Vision in Print

Why Gray, BPIF managing director (South), is simulta­neously described as one of the most charming men in print and a workaholic, a pretty unusual combination. I live in Norwich and work in London [Monday to Friday], so it’s either a mistress or work and I can’t afford a mistress, jokes Gray about the latter trait. Prior to April, when the ardent cricket fan was promoted to his current role, it had already been a hectic year for Gray, with the bedding in of Vision in Print with BPIF Business. However, he sees his biggest challenge over the next 12 months as the softening print market, as a result of the credit crunch and rising costs, which he fears could hit the industry hard as early as the autumn.

He says Management teams are thin in print, they need help, they know they have to make strategic change to survive and thrive and we have to do our best to assist them
They say He’s a tremendous asset to the industry

27 Sidney Bobb (25) – BAPC

Why With almost 4,000 printers signed up as members of his organisation, BAPC chairman Bobb has a heavy burden of responsibility to create a community where printers help printers and become greater than the sum of their parts. As well as being the advocate of SME printers, he sees his role as helping members to change and adapt to the constantly changing business environment in print. In the past year he has secured a £450,000 grant from the London Development Agency to help introduce new workers into print, and initiatives like that, and his self-deprecating humour, dry wit and Scots ‘charm’, go a long way to bolster his members’ interests.

He says Whenever I look in the mirror I’m constantly surprised at how good looking I am – I hardly recognise myself sometimes
They say He works tirelessly on behalf of the BAPC members and eats, sleeps and drinks improving the UK print market and the opportunities for printers

28. Gary Mahoney (78) – Charterhouse

Why A momentous year for Charterhouse coincides with an impressive jump up the rankings for the print management firm’s chief executive. With the sale of a 20% stake to Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance, and acquisitions on the cards, the Hatfield-based company is commanding a market where others are failing. Charterhouse boasted sales of £72m for 2007/08, following a year of new business wins including Signet, Monsoon, BMW and Blackberry. Green credentials have also been a priority and Mahoney has taken a lead role in its CarbonNeutral Print Production programme and FSC and PEFC Chain of Custodies. A keen skier and Arsenal fan, Mahoney is much admired by his colleagues.

He says We are extremely well positioned
They say Focused, driven and very approachable with a genuine interest in all his staff

29. Ian George (NEW) – Antalis/James McNaughton Group

Why As Antalis/McNaughton’s regional managing director for UK & Ireland, George is a busy man watching over the £500m combined business. He has been with McNaughton for more than 30 years, in charge for more than 20, and has been greatly influential in helping McNaughton grow to a £260m company. He was appointed to Antalis Group earlier this year following the paper merchant’s acquisition of MAP Merchant Group, a move which caused a dramatic shift in the paper market. Said to be extremely fair to work for, he counters this with a schoolboy type sense of humour, according to those in the know. George is a life-long Crystal Palace supporter and also has an amazing repertoire of impressions, including former England cricketer Bob Willis and Deryck Guyler as Potter in Please Sir.

He says Let’s smooth over the troubled waters that the NAPM sometimes experiences between its members
They say He has a huge influence on the paper merchanting industry

30. Jason Cromack (32) – Office2Office

Why As chief executive of AIM-listed TripleArc, Cromack spent his life worrying about his company’s high debt and justifying his every move to investors. But all that has changed. Following the buyout of his company by stationery supplies giant Office2Office, the debt has gone and TripleArc’s print management business AccessPlus has become the Norwich-based group’s BPO arm. The £26m sale gives Cromack a little more power than he had this time last year, especially as he can now concentrate on running a print management business rather than keeping the banks happy. Moreover, being part of Office2Office means that Cromack – who, outside of work, has discovered the joys of après-ski – will have access to some of the biggest government departments’ procurement teams.

He says From our point of view, the acquisition is a great opportunity. It gives us the financial clout of a much larger group, so we can go after much bigger deals
They say He has an infectious enthusiasm – we need more people like him in the industry