What was it that made you want to work in the publishing industry?

Ever since I was a little girl, I read magazines like Bunty, Mandy, Smash Hits, NME and Marie Claire. It was always my dream to work in magazines.

Chart your journey from the start of your career to your current position.

I studied communication and media studies at Birmingham Polytechnic and then I went to London and I originally worked for an ad agency. I then went to work for IPC which is now TI Media in a number of positions, starting off on the picture desk and moving onto the features department and commissioned lifestyle, cookery and home features. I went to work in France and did freelance features about living in Paris and when we came back to England, I started to work with Signature Publishing. At the time they were just launching children’s magazines and since then we have launched about 17 children’s magazines. I find working in kid’s magazines really fulfilling as we have a really strong loyal readership. Every day we get a massive post bag!

You recently launched your CRAZY FOR magazine, which focuses on trending animals like Llamas. How do you identify what is on trend?

We track all trends, get all the updates from all the toy magazines and we work with lots of licensing companies, so we know what is going to be big. We also look at what is going on in US and Europe. Lots of us have young children as well so we are aware of what they are talking about in the playgrounds.

How do you handle your deadlines?

We always have loads of deadlines because we work on a lot of magazines. Somehow it does all work because we know exactly what we are doing. It takes a lot of organisation because with kid’s magazines you have cover mounts, so you have to make sure they arrive at the same time and that everything works together. We would never miss a print date.

What does your typical day involve?

There isn’t a typical day because we are working on so many different magazines. The main thing is that the post comes in every day, so we look at the letters from the readers to start the day off. We often have to go out and meet people in London. We go to toy fairs and book fairs, so while we are in the office we are also out and about a lot.

What is the worst piece of advice you have ever received?

Magazines are like yesterday’s fish and chips. Even though they are paper and they go in the bin, what you write does connect with people and it does mean something.

How does being a member of the PPA add value to the Signature Publishing brand?

It brings respectability and if we have problems then we can ask the PPA. I think it is good to be part of an umbrella organisation and to be together rather than working on your own.

Whose phone number do you wish you had?

Professionally, David Walliams because I would love to do a David Walliams magazine. On a personal level, I would like Kathy Burke because I think she is really funny.

What would be in your Room 101?

Fairgrounds

Introvert or Extrovert?

In between

Optimist or Pessimist?

Optimist

*Film or TV? *

Bake Off, BBC 4 documentaries, Gone Fishing with Bob Mortimer, Killing Eve.

Sweet or Savoury?

Savoury

What magazine would be your Sunday afternoon or long train journey read?

Saturday Times magazine, Vanity Fair, Vogue, BBC History, National Trust magazine.