PPA's outgoing Chief Executive: Barry McIlheney

05/05/20 • 50 min

For this edition of Magazine Stories, we were very lucky to get some time with PPA’s Chief Executive, Barry McIlheney, in the last week of his ten-year stint in that role. He explains how the PPA has been supporting the magazine industry over the last decade, and particularly in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Barry has a truly enviable career. He edited Smash Hits; launched Empire, heat and the French edition of FHM; and he held a series of senior management posts at EMAP. In a reflection of Barry’s many-storied life, our interview features the Oscars red carpet, editing advice from Warren Beatty, and the time a design decision enraged David Bowie.

As he points out, Barry has come a long way from his origins in North Belfast.

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As he points out, Barry has come a long way from his origins in North Belfast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Think's Executive Director: John Innes

Currently the acclaimed Executive Director of Think, John Innes has been publishing magazines since primary school. His incredibly varied career runs the gamut from Sunday School publications to launching the controversial and risqué Bizarre magazine.

Along the way he learned from some of the greats of publishing - including John Brown, the founder of John Brown Media - and has discovered that film magazines aren't as glamorous as they seem.

John now leads Think's Glasgow team producing magazines and other content for the likes of Historic Scotland, and the National Trust for Scotland. In this episode of Magazine Stories, he talks us through the lessons he's learned along the way.

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Next Episode

The Skinny's Editor-in-Chief: Rosamund West

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The Skinny is a vital launching pad for talent, with alumni finding their way into many other publications and arts organisations, so she has a great insight into the attributes that mark individuals out as 'ones to watch'. She shares some top advice with us.

She also candidly discusses the challenges The Skinny is facing as the coronavirus crisis hits the events and cultural sectors. Rosamund's passion for magazines, and their ability to "sell you worlds", is compelling.

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