People

Q&A: Ian Cunningham, Global category lead – print, direct mail and branded merchandise, APS Group
Ian is 58 and has worked in the industry for 30 years, having originally trained in graphic design.

Rising star: Louisa Stokes Client services administrator, Augustus Martin
Louisa is 21 and started working at Augustus Martin in January 2022.

The industry must encourage the next generation of print bosses
It’s well documented that print, like many manufacturing industries, is facing a ticking time-bomb of an ageing workforce and needs to do more to attract younger workers to the sector.

Q&A: Wayne Barlow, recently retired head of Professional Print at Canon UK
Wayne trained as a precision toolmaker in Yorkshire after leaving school aged 16. He studied electronics and control engineering until his mid-20s, then took the plunge and moved south to begin his...

Rising star: Jordon Conroy, general operative, Nuneaton Signs
Jordon is 26 and has worked at Nuneaton Signs since 2021. The Warwickshire business became a social enterprise six years ago, and currently 66% of employees have a disability.

New year predictions: Ray Hillhouse, Plockmatic
Ray Hillhouse, VP sales and marketing for the Plockmatic Group Offline Business Unit, enjoyed a successful Drupa and says some of the show's major trends – especially automation in finishing – will...

Q&A Victoria Talbot Managing director, Steadfast Tapes
Victoria has spent a decade in the printing industry and took over as managing director of Huddersfield-based Steadfast Tapes just over two years ago.

Rising star: Riley Macrae Duffy, digital print apprentice, CX Services
Riley recently turned 21. He started working in the printing industry in the summer of 2023, and since taking up his apprenticeship at CX Services has proved to be a real asset for the Dunoon-based...

Rising star: Thomas Barrie, pre-press apprentice, Authentix Security Print Solutions
Thomas is 19 and has recently passed his first anniversary of starting to work in the printing industry at Consett-based security printing specialist Authentix SPS.

Buy right or buy twice
New technologies may have found their way into the world of print, but ultimately, it’s people that make any business in the sector work.