March 24th marks 20 years that Philippa, our Operations Director, has been with us here at Readability and 35 years she has been in print (WOW!). Before the career changing move to print, Philippa worked at 2 previous companies, both of which were in Sales/Account Management roles, as this is what she had studied. It was by chance that Philippa stumbled into print in the first place. A 3-month secondment contract working in production planning was where it all started…. Her technical knowledge and success in this role resulted in this secondment being extended to a year which later turned into a 15-year career. From working in production planning, to sales, to running flexo printing presses, Philippa has learned a wide overview of the technicalities involved in print. Ranging from the customer to the studio to the actual printing processes, finishing and delivery. It’s this that really sets her apart from the crowd.
Knowing how unhappy Philippa was in her current role, it was a small advert in the local newspaper for Readability that caught her mum’s eye. Curious about the role and excited to share her technical knowledge, Philippa called and was put in touch with Chris, the owner. Between them, emails were exchanged, and an interview was arranged – little did they know Chris would be stranded on the M25 overnight due to one of Britain’s worst blizzards and the interview was postponed. Informally meeting over a pub lunch, it was clear that Philippa understood the world of print extremely well and had the experience to show it. Lo and behold, Philippa got the job as Account Manager and the rest is history!
Account Management meant Philippa looked after the day-to-day customer needs including receiving orders, gathering quotes and pricing up printing jobs. Due to her organisational skills and print experience, she swiftly moving into an Operations Manager role. At this time, Readability had their own production facility and it was Philippa’s responsibility to ensure everything ran smoothly and with ease, as well as managing all her previous accounts. After some time, it was clear that Philippa was a value to the business, and she was promoted to Operations Director. Not only did she continue to fulfil all of her previous activity, but she also had to maintain relationships with our trade partners and manage her own team.
Since Philippa started in 2003, Readability has changed dramatically. Starting out predominantly in ribbon sales and plain white labels, moving towards digitally printed consumer-focused packaging including labels, boxes and stand up pouches, Philippa has seen it all.
Top 3 moments Philippa would like to highlight during her time at Readability so far:
- Becoming a Director of the business: Philippa felt rewarded when she was asked to become Operations Director. A standout moment because she felt the company showed faith and commitment in her abilities and valued her as a member of the team.
- Celebrating Readability’s 30th birthday at The Shard in 2022. A once in a lifetime opportunity.
- Philippa’s experience in print was what got her the job in the first place. It has been both pleasurable and fun for her to watch Readability grow and evolve overtime to the company it is now.
“Working at Readability has allowed me to hone my technical knowledge in all things printing, but also has given me the freedom to grow both within myself and as member of a great team.”- Philippa Griffin.
“Philippa is a committed, hard-working member of the Readability team and is always keen to lead from the front with her in depth print knowledge. Philippa is trusted by our supplier partners and customers who all feel they can ask her anything and always receive an honest answer. Philippa is much more than simply part of the furniture after 20 years. We rely on her for everything from operations management to HR to cake baking. 20 years as a key team member managing the growth we continue to enjoy has not blunted her need for time off though…. Not many of us visit Barbados 3 times in a year. Philippa did!! Well done, Philippa! Thank you! Our story continues.” -A note from Chris, our MD.
Congratulations Philippa on 20 years at Readability!
About the Author: Sam Edney
Sam is our Sales Director, working with customers to find the best packaging solutions for their products, brand and target audience. With a passion for new materials and technology, all while keeping a firm focus on sustainability .