Interview
Golden year for Emerald
Richard Bevan, CEO at Emerald Publishing, reflects on the company’s 50 years in scholarly communications
What is your background? I graduated with a BA in economics from Lancaster University and went on to gain FCMA (Fellow Chartered Management Accountant) status. I spent 27 years in retail, holding senior executive and director positions in finance and operations at M&S, Tesco, Asda and served on the main board at Fenwick Stores. I joined Emerald in December 2008, as group finance and operations director, and was appointed CEO the next year. I had knowledge of the business for some years prior to this, due to my friendship with Martin Fojt, then chairman of Emerald Publishing and son-in-law of Emerald owner, Keith Howard. The plan was that Martin and
I would lead the business in the delivery of its future ambitions and goals. Unfortunately, in February 2014, Martin died from a sudden and unexpected heart attack. We have had to rebalance and refocus since, but are firmly on track. Outside of work, I am married to Liz and have two grown-up children. I have a love of sport, progressively as a spectator, and enjoy a range of music.
Does your experience in consumer retail influence the way you work? In pursuing and enjoying a successful career in retail, there are a number of key
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attributes and skills that I’ve felt pertinent to my leadership role at Emerald. At the same time, I believe that adaptability, resilience and personal drive lie at the heart of my leadership style. Three specific areas of experience I’ve sought to
embed at Emerald are: l A customer-first mentality for each of the communities we serve, with a progressive focus on the end user experience. We have progressively been strengthening our strategic marketing capability with
stronger commercial alignment across the business;
l The adage that ‘retail is detail’ supports my bias towards data analytics and a progressive shift towards clearer performance metrics and insight-driven decision- making at Emerald; and
l Driving efficient and effective business change is a key requirement of any organisation seeking to sustain and grow its market share in the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world we all operate in. This includes the adoption of an agile mind- set underpinned by focus, transparency and execution.
Is there any common ground between the two industries (or any notable differences)? Common ground: people are key to both business, with the quality of front-end
relationships being the ultimate barometer. Emerald has fantastic staff throughout the business. At the same time, as in most industries, the right blend of quality, choice and value in regards to our offer will remain key. We are a naturally responsive business, and one that is investing in its capacity and capability to be truly flexible and progressive in the customisation of this blended offer.
Notable differences: when I joined Emerald, there were a number of notable differences, including a lower intensity of competition and a more limited sense of pace and innovation, partly reflecting the history and nature of the sector. But the gap has narrowed significantly in recent years, with the pace of publishing and innovations within it having greatly increased and notable disruptors emerging, meaning
CEO Richard Bevan (right) with Keith Howard (left), owner of Emerald, which celebrates 50 years in business this year
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