Paul Woodmansterne, managing director of Woodmansterne Publications is making no secret of his plan to relinquish the day to day running of the business in July 2020, with his son Seth now working towards taking over as managing director of the company then.
Paul will continue as chairman of the company.
Seth will be the third generation Woodmansterne to run the business, which this year celebrates its 65th anniversary. The company was founded by Paul’s parents and Seth’s grandparents as a producer of high quality colour slides.
Paul, who joined the business 25 years ago, having graduated from Oxford as a music scholar, told PG Buzz that while he feels extraordinarily “proud” of the company’s achievements since its transition to greeting card publisher in 1996, says he still has lots to learn.
“I am still learning every day to be a better leader… it gives me a reason to get up in the morning!” Paul told PG in an interview, which is published in the current (November) edition of the magazine.
Paul’s son Seth however takes up the baton to run the company in July 2020, which coincides with Paul’s 60th birthday. Seth, has effectively been doing his ‘apprenticeship’ in various aspects of the business since he joined seven years ago.
Commenting on whether he feels equipped to become the third generation leader of what is a significant greeting card publisher and broker, Seth quips: “I am excited by the challenge. I graduated in history of art at college which is marginally more relevant than Dad’s music degree, but not much, but since when did that stop us,” showing that he has the right genes!
As part of the company’s 65th anniversary celebrations, at the Wayzgooze event (organised recently in conjunction with greeting card printers Windles), every Woodmansterne employee received a commemorative greeting card hand-signed by Paul. It bore the message: “If you had any idea how the things you do each day affect the lives of those around you and impact the spirit of the cards that together we create, make, touch and sell, you would know how much I appreciate your personal contribution to turning Woodmansterne into the best greeting card company in the world.”
Reinforcing the role greeting cards play, the message continued: ‘Your cards help others to share a lot of love, bear a lot of pain, give a lot of joy, and make the world a better place.’
Top: Paul Woodmansterne and his son Seth who will take over the day-to-day running of the business in July 2020.
