He began his sales career on Power Laundry and Cleaning News, a forerunner to Laundry and Cleaning News, which was based in London’s Fleet Street, an area that was then the UK’s newspaper capital.
“I had been keen to get into sales from the moment I joined the trade magazine publisher Associated Iliffe Press in April 1963,” says Chris, adding that the major attraction was the company car and an expense account! However, to enter a heavily unionised company he had to start at the bottom and so a lifetime career in publishing began in the post room. From there, Chris progressed to journal production and while working on the magazine Power Laundry, he saw a vacancy for an advertisement representative.
He continues with his story: “The formal interview was tough but I was successful. I started my first morning with a great deal of trepidation. The flashy new car had to wait, it was public transport for me and rather than having an unlimited expense account, I could only reclaim my fares. Never mind, I was on my way and little did I know just how long the job was to last.
“Forty years on, I find the industry is as friendly as ever but naturally a great deal has changed. However, I remain committed to my role and would like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals who, over the years, have made the job so pleasurable. Several I am pleased to call friends and I must also thank the many companies both in the UK and overseas that have unswervingly supported LCN. Without their support my career could have been very different.
“Finally, my long suffering secretary Sue Ledger is worthy of the highest praise. Behind every good advertisement manager lies a good secretary!"
