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Jill Kayton appointed HSM acting publishing director

11 July 2012 in Lifestyle

HSM is happy to announce the appointment of Jill Kayton as acting publishing director. Jill has been with the company since 2006 and started out as a copy editor in a team of two. Understanding and appreciating the value of teamwork Jill started to grow and develop the copy editing team, HSM’s secret weapon when it comes to editing over 100 lifestyle magazines a year. After two years she was promoted to chief copy editor, followed by her promotion to editorial director in July 2011.

‘I was tasked with overseeing the lifestyle editorial department, a team of over two dozen employees working on a string of acclaimed customer and consumer titles,’ says Jill. ‘The most critical component to the success of our magazines is the people you hire. Great staff allow you to produce great products. You can’t have one without the other.’

Jill has been instrumental in the rapid growth of HSM’s talent pool and the continuing editorial excellence HSM is known for. ‘I pay close attention to the content that goes into every one of HSM’s publishing products,’ says Jill. ‘Add to that award-winning design and a fashion and photography department that constantly innovates to ensure the magazines look as good as they read, and you can see why HSM’s titles are a highly coveted bunch.’

Jill says that her main objective is to ensure the continued success of HSM’s 30-plus titles and drive the development of new ones, particularly on the digital front. ‘While print forms the core of our business today, that won’t be the case forever and HSM Digital is expanding to meet the changing needs of our readers.’

Although the company has grown considerably since its establishment and has surpassed the tipping point of 150 employees – sitting at 180 – whereby most corporations lose the intimacy and familiarity that are the benefits of a smaller organisation, Jill says it’s important to keep the company’s close-knit, family culture.

Says MD Tony Walker of Jill’s appointment: ‘Jill’s passion for and dedication to the industry, the company and the people that make these publications the great successes they are was clear from the start. We’re very proud of her growth and development within the company and look forward to the year ahead.’