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11 Robert Whiteside (12) – Adare

Why Sporty Scot Whiteside moves up the table one place after another 12 months of transforming Adare into a marketing company. Following the sale of Adare’s On Demand Communications business, which owns Prontaprint and Kall Kwik, early in 2007, another one of the firm’s non-core businesses, the beer label printing specialist Darley, was sold to an MBO team. Whiteside then turned his sights to completing the merging of Adare’s Shipley site, which was previously known as Lexicon, into Park Mill to create a central multimedia direct mail hub. Shipley closed its doors at the end of 2007, but not before Adare had already set up an office in Russia, on Moscow’s Red Square no less, and picked up a major international contract for retailer Tie Rack. Whiteside has taken a breather from the acquisition trail this year, although he always talks up the chances of further growth through M&A.

He says We have a very clear strategy to invest in meeting the marketing and customer communications requirements of our customers
They say Robert shows vision, tremendous enthusiasm and a desire to continue to evolve the company. He’s a truly inspirational leader for Adare

12. Steve Brundle (10) – TPF Group

Why It has been a mixed year for TPF Group. Never far from the limelight, the company has been grabbing headlines for both the right and wrong reasons. The closure of Wace and the loss of around £6m-a-year worth of RBS work were not the start to the year that chief executive Brundle would have hoped for. However, if the realisation of a long-held ambition to steer the company into £100m plus turnover territory didn’t cheer the big man, then nothing will. The £50m plus Allianz deal that reportedly took TPF through the £100m-barrier was announced last autumn, since when the company has won a further £85m of new business in addition to launching a US operation. TPF has also been instrumental in the Conservative Party’s recent surge, handling print production for both Boris Johnson’s London Mayoral campaign and the Tories’ Crewe and Nantwich by-election victory. Should Johnson need advice on cutting crime, he could do worse than ask ex-copper Brundle who, despite retiring from the force, still found time recently to chase down two knife-wielding hoodlums in the streets of Walthamstow.

He says Everything in life is that much sweeter when you really have to work hard for it.
They say His is the one name you dread seeing in the visitors’ book when turning up for a big new business pitch.

13. Simon Ward (19) – St Ives

Why Ward’s rise up the Power 100 continues this year, by a more modest six places than the precipitous 32 of ’07, but he’ll be delighted to beat colleague Pet Martell’s ranking. His group sales initiative for St Ives to beat print managers at their own game has borne fruit; high-profile contracts from Sainsbury’s and Royal Mail have been big parts of a £100m sales uplift. Ward’s reward was a promotion last summer to managing director for UK sales. The lad from Wolver-hampton has bigger ambitions too – having established group sales, he’s now working on the second phase of his strategy, which is to turn St Ives from a print supplier to a ‘strategic partner’. This year, Ward will be working on the firm’s first digital strategy, and expects to see results in the next 12-18 months. Known within St Ives as His Wardship, his drive to get things done is summed up in one of his oft-used phrases: it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission. When his energy and enthusiasm aren’t being applied at work Ward is an ardent Wolves fan, and has recently discovered the joys of heli-boarding to get his kicks. Let’s hope his medical insurance is up to scratch.

He says You need to be much cleverer going forward
They say Absolutely customer-focused

14. Peter Taylor (51) Xerox

Why It’s been a big year for Taylor who took over the top spot of Xerox UK’s production business at the beginning of the year, replacing Anoush Gordon, and catapulting him 37 places up the Power 100. As director of production business, Taylor’s aims are to grow Xerox’s public sector, iGen and continuous feed businesses. With the appointment of new managers and new continuous feed colour and iGens launched at Drupa, Taylor has the tools to meet those aims. With digital increasingly centre stage and Taylor in the top UK spot at the world’s biggest player – Xerox chief executive Anne Mulcahy recently claimed the firm commanded a 50% market share, twice that of its nearest rival – he’s got a big, and growing, influence on the UK print landscape. Those that know him call him focused and driven, but also as a chap you can get on with. One online comment was typical of the praise for Taylor: He’s always there when needed, even for the smaller customers. Another printer added that he’s always got the customer at the forefront of his mind, which is a great way to run a business.

He says We haven’t done enough in the public sector, and it’s a big opportunity for us.
They say Putting Peter at the head of that business is brilliant

15. Alastair Watson (NEW) – RR Donnelley Global Document Solutions

Why Watson is making his first appearance on this list but he is by no means new to print. As director of strategic sourcing at RR Donnelley Global Document Services (call it by its former name, Astron, at your peril), he commands one of the biggest print spends in the industry. We have placed him on this list to replace Bob Nelson, who returned to his native US last summer to set up a similar business model there for RR Donnelley. Watson, who was previously head of procurement for Williams Lea, put the cat among the pigeons earlier this year when he told a group of peers at a PrintWeek round table that there was still money to be made in print management – and that to achieve that aim, print managers had to buy better. Elsewhere, his company’s year has been relatively quiet; the focus has been on existing accounts such as ING Direct and taking on much of Barclaycard’s statementing work after the credit card provider decided to close down its Northampton base. Speculation has also emerged that GDS has been put back up for sale by its owner; how this will affect Watson and his team in the year to come remains to be seen.

He says Very often, our view of the print we manage is very client-driven – each client team does their thing, but there is not a single integrated view. There’s a big profit opportunity there, still
They say One of the sharpest minds in print procurement

16. Brian McGee (NEW) – Newsprinters

Why McGee may be newcomer to the Power 100 but Newsprinters, News International’s print arm, certainly isn’t. The managing director of UK printing operations replaces the outgoing Ian McDonald, last year’s number six, who is heading into retirement. With McDonald moving on, it is McGee’s time to shine and he will be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that Newsprinters’ new sites in Broxbourne, Knowsley and Scotland get off the ground. He will also be tasked with integrating The Daily Telegraph into his print schedule when the newspaper moves across later this year. McGee’s other key role is to spearhead the company’s move further into contract printing. Outside of printing McGee is a huge Liverpool fan who is proud of his claim to have been in Rome in ’84, Istanbul in ’05 and Athens in ’07. Having moved away from his homeland for the sunnier – and more convenient – climes of Cambridge, he is now working on ensuring that his three children follow him as Anfield regulars.

He says Wapping is like a family; this site has taken a chunk of the workers’ lives and it is impossible to say how much it stands for [on the final night at Wapping]
They say He is a genuine, hard working, determined young man and he has a great a future in front of him. He is sometimes uncompromising but very fair. I am sure that he will make a much better operator than me (Ian MacDonald)

17. Laurence Roberts (15) – Agfa

Why It’s been a topsy turvy year for Agfa, which last summer cancelled its plan to demerge its graphics, health and speciality divisions after poor results. Subsequently the group’s share price has been on a downward trajectory, and is currently languishing at around €5 (the 52-week high was €19.60). Despite the travails at HQ, UK managing director Roberts remains resolutely upbeat and came out of Drupa on a high (it was the best Drupa I’ve been to – the buzz was amazing). His razor-sharp ability with figures and finance have helped Agfa secure key deals, including the ground-breaking 10-year platemaking outsourcing contract with News International. He’s just signed up Wyndeham on a
five-year supply deal too. While his opinionated style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – he certainly doesn’t suffer fools
gladly – staff and key clients speak warmly of his intelligence and integrity.

He says With the News International deal I take all the risk. Was I prudent? Only time will tell if the assumptions we made on manning, etc, were correct. But it will either be a good deal or a very good deal
They say He’s a consistent player who fights his corner with the Belgians. He grasps the commercial element of a deal incredi­bly quickly and is not afraid to make a decision quickly too

18. Jasper Scott (22) – IPC Media

Why Following the break-up of Emap, IPC has taken over the top spot in the magazine production spend rankings. Manufacturing director Scott is the man of the moment as suppliers (and indeed other publishers) eagerly await the outcome of his print tender. Scott is a smart cookie and will be well aware that the era of ever-decreasing print prices is all but over. He’s not one to hold back when it comes to praising – or criticising – his suppliers, and he does have the ability to occasionally rub people up the wrong way. However, we’re pleased to report that after a rather public falling out with Stora Enso, he was spotted at Drupa having a cordial conversation with the papermaker’s Fabian Langenskiold. Despite all his extra-curricular interests (he’s an accomplished jazz musician, sailor, and a great raconteur with the most ribald collection of oft repeated limericks this side of the Irish Sea) his unceasing interest in the industry he clearly loves marks him out as a cut above the rest.

He says I have more faith in Southernprint than any other printing company in the UK
They say He sees value in relationships and will work very hard to work with those organisations that do a good job for him

19. George Clarke (20) – Heidelberg

Why Heidelberg UK’s managing director’s place as the top ranked press supplier is virtually guaranteed; after all, the big H’s kit is the backbone of many UK printers’ operations. By Clarke’s own admission though, thanks to economic uncertainty and the strong euro, things are far from rosy for printers and suppliers alike right now. And as if he didn’t have enough on his plate rising to those challenges, and entering new markets with the firm’s Drupa launched large-format XL presses, he’s also chairman of suppliers and manufacturers association Picon and president of Ipex 2010. The industrious Clarke is also chairman of a housing association in Stockwell, London, which he describes as a nice antidote to his daily business dealings. Another diversion is Clarke’s well documented love of antique lawn mowers, but more recently he’s developed a passion for photography (digital black and white rather than analogue colour, interestingly).

He says It’s still a difficult market in the UK, but given how tough it’s been, our results have been quite satisfying
They say Top man, key influencer, and when it boils down to it, no list of print’s power players would be complete without his name near the top.

20. Debbie Read (18) – Bauer Consumer Media

Why It’s been a taxing 12 months for Read since her arrival in the Power 100 last year, when she landed her dream job as Emap group production director. She got off to a running start with a review of the publisher’s pre-press contracts, leading to 10 titles changing hands following the closure of Emap’s in-house pre-press hub. As if taking charge of Emap’s £38m print spend wasn’t challenging enough, there followed the turmoil of the company’s sell-off, which saw Emap Consumer Media become Bauer Consumer Media (BCM), after its £1.14bn acquisition by Bauer. Not one to be distracted by speculation, Read pressed on with a mammoth print tender, covering all but one of the newly re-branded BCM’s consumer titles. Of interest in the print review is the fact that BCM’s parent company has gravure capacity available in its German-based print facilities, giving Read the opportunity to explore in-house printing of some of the publisher’s long-run monthly titles.

She says I will be investigating printing opportunities within the group, where appropriate, to coincide with the tender process
They say There is an opportunity there for the bigger-run monthlies, where there are no scheduling issues, and that has to be considered by Bauer as a way of saving money