Polestar Chief To Head UK Printing Charity

A Printers Charitable Corporation product story

Edited by the Printingtalk editorial team Oct 31, 2007

Barry Hibbert, chief executive of Polestar, is to become the 2008 president of the UK printing industry charity, the Printers' Charitable Corporation (PCC).

Hibbert will begin his year of office on January 1 2008, succeeding 2007 president, Sir Clive Martin.

The Polestar CEO said: "I am extremely honoured to be asked to be the President for a year with this prestigious and historical organisation.

The PCC has many facets that are relevant to today's changing environment.

Its charitable support of those in need and their dependants is widely known and I look forward to seeing the support in action, in particular at the residential homes." He continued : "I am also extremely pleased to help support the PCC in its broader appeal and influence in the industry, through its scholarships and continuing to raise its profile within the commercial printing sector." PCC chairman, Sir Jeremy Elwes, added: "We are exceptionally fortunate in having Barry Hibbert as our president for 2008.

He will preside over a year in which major decisions will be made for the future of the PCC following our knowledge transfer partnership exercise and his experience, expertise and eminence in the industry will prove invaluable to the PCC council and officers." Barry Hibbert became chief executive of Polestar in 2001 and has led a programme of reshaping and refocusing the group which employs 4,000 staff and has operations across the UK, as well as in Hungary and Spain.

The multi-site Polestar group serves the publishing, retail, travel and direct marketing sectors through the production of catalogues, brochures, magazines and direct mail for the international market.

Hibbert is a graduate engineer who obtained his MBA in 1994 and his career has spanned senior appointments with Olivetti, Carlton Communications and Harman International where he was responsible for European operations and design, winning an award from the UK Department of Trade and Industry for process and design innovation.

Past PCC presidents include Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone, several members of the Royal Family and, in more recent years, Rupert Murdoch, the Bishop of London and Viscount Rothermere.