2022 Rising Stars developing marketing skills

Lucinda started as a Sales Administrator at paper manufacturer Hahnmule Fine Art when she decided university was not for her. She was soon promoted to Customer Experience Manager, acting as the main point of contact for customers. Focusing on developing her career further, she intends to use her funding on a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. 

Victoria has worked in print since leaving school and gained her first position as a Content Creator for Blackwell Print in 2010. Her responsibilities included maintaining the website and regularly updating the blog with articles. Working at Blackwell Print for seven years, she gained invaluable experience but was ready to take on a new challenge at Page Bros. Victoria used her time wisely whilst furloughed and gained an IDM qualification in Digital Marketing, receiving Credit for her work. She aspires to be a Marketing Manager in future and the next step to achieving this goal is enrolling in a Copywriting course with the IDM.

With a passion for books from an early age, Casey jumped at the chance of a career in publishing. Being a book influencer, she has been witness to and involved in some incredible marketing campaigns, and knew this was where her career path lay. As Marketing Executive for Little, Brown Book Group, Casey successfully identified a fast-moving publishing opportunity, resulting in half a million book sales, and over 108 million views on TikTok. Casey would now love the chance to expand on her skills and looks to become Head of Digital Marketing in a major publishing house. To get her on her way, she will be enrolling with the IDM.  

Jessica worked in various retail and customer services jobs whilst she studied and soon realised she excelled in a customer-centric role. After graduating in 2019, Jessica knew she wanted to pursue a career in marketing which led her to her first role at Webmart as a Project Manager. She is now Sales and Marketing Co-Ordinator, working alongside new customers to help maximise the impact of their print. She will be enrolling on a Mini MBA with Marketing Week to help her career as a Sales & Marketing Manager flourish. 

After completing her Graphic Design degree at Nottingham Trent University, Louise gained internships in the design world to figure out which area of graphic design she wanted to work in. After a month at Qualvis Print & Packaging, Louise was offered a position as a Creative Designer, where she now creates packaging artwork for established and up-and-coming brands alongside designs for in-house marketing. Louise would like to develop her design knowledge further and will be studying with TMLA on a branding and design short course. 

Lauryn has always been interested in the digital world, graduating with a degree in Media Studies. Having previously worked with analogue media, she fell into a career in print and is now SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) & Copywriting Executive at Springfield Solutions, where she focuses on sustainability. Lauryn will be enrolling on a Digital Marketing Masterclass with the CIM to take her writing to the next level. 

Since starting as an Apprentice with Tharsten in 2018, Millie has achieved a first-class honours degree in Digital Marketing and a distinction in her apprenticeship. Jumping at opportunities to upskill, she has advanced in her career and is now Marketing Executive. She thrives in the collaborative environment of the industry and is now looking to expand her skills to reach international audiences whilst raising the profile of print. Millie will be putting her Award towards an IDM qualification in Digital Marketing and hopes to stay with Tharsten in years to come. 

Helena first became interested in publishing after a work experience placement whilst still at school. She went on to complete a degree in Ancient Literature and gained more placement work at Oxford University Press. The experience opened her eyes to the role publishing has in shaping young minds and inspiring learning and knowledge. Now a Marketing Executive at Edinburgh University Press, she works on campaigns covering Islamic and Middle Eastern studies and linguistics. Helena will be studying with the CIM on Strategy, Brand Marketing and User Experience to develop her professional skills. 

With a passion for design and all things creative, Stephanie followed Graphic Design throughout her studies, eventually graduating with a BA Hons in Graphic Design. Since then, she has built on her career working as a Visual merchandiser, Media, Publicity, and Marketing Officer, and most recently as a Creative Designer and Marketing Executive at Precision Proco.  Stephanie‘s role has allowed her to experience new practices in the print industry and become more aware of offline marketing. To further her understanding, Stephanie will use her funding towards a Professional Marketing Diploma with the IDM. 

Originally from Brazil, Maria was awarded a scholarship at Coventry University to study English Literature and Creative Writing in 2016. Knowing she had always wanted to work with books, Maria moved into the publishing world. She pursued a Masters in Publishing and Creative Writing to arm herself with the skills and knowledge of book publishing.  Maria joined SAGE Publishing in October 2020 and was promoted to Books Marketing Executive in 2021. Having found the best of both worlds between bioscience and publishing, she will enrol on CIM marketing courses to help her promote the books she is passionate about. 

Molly used her transferable skills in customer service to excel at Propack as an Account Manager. With her first taste of the print industry, she quickly progressed to Business Development Executive after two years where she focuses on client relationships. Now thriving in a strong team, Molly aims to progress further and manage a team of Sales Account Managers in five years. She will use her Award to gain a certificate in sales and marketing to better understand client behaviour. 

An avid reader when she was younger, Rose became more interested in the publishing process as she got older. Whilst employed by Waterstones, Rose had the opportunity to see the effect publicity has on a title and knew that is where her career lay. Moving on to the Oxford University press in 2018, her path has been varied, supporting their trade history book department, marketing team, IT and Communications teams. Now in the publishing department, Rose works closely with academic authors to promote their work. She sees her future as a mix of internal and external communications within publishing and will use the funds towards a Professional PR Diploma through the CIPR.