Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Michael Fox, acknowleged industry postal expert, retiring from Rogers Publishing

The Canadian magazine industry has long relied on Michael Fox as its primary expert when it came to understanding the vagaries and the economics of Canada Post. Fox, who has long worked in circulation  at Rogers Publishing and, before that, at Maclean Hunter, and is now senior vice-president, circulation, is retiring at the end of this month. He first joined Maclean Hunter in 1974 as an editor working for the old Financial Post, which he was later instrumental in taking it from a weekly to a daily after moving over into circulation.
He won't be leaving the magazine business, mind you: he will be moving permanently to his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake and continuing to work with his wife Beckie and his daughter Katherine on building the magazine Garden Making, which they launched in 2010. (It tells you a lot about Fox that his idea of a good time after finding and keeping audiences for Rogers magazines has been to do exactly the same thing in his spare time, only for his own magazine.) He is also to continue working for Rogers on a couple of projects. His retirement was announced in a memo to staff from president Ken Whyte, who said, in part:
Perhaps Michael’s most important contribution to Rogers Publishing in recent years has been his active involvement in government relations and the relationship he has built directly with Canada Post. He has been extremely influential in championing our interests day-to-day and in crisis situations.
Over the years, Fox has chaired and served on a great many industry committees at Magazines Canada and elsewhere. Magazines Canada named him volunteer of the year in 2005 and CMC Circulation Management Association made him Magazine Marketer of the Year in 2002. He is honorary lifetime member of the Canadian Direct Marketing Association and has been on the Magazine Directors Advisory Committee at the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

3 Comments:

Blogger Joyce Byrne said...

Michael is one of the first 'pros' every circulator meets (no exception here) and I have really enjoyed working with him and learning from him during our years of service with Magazines Canada. I hope that he finds time to continue with those industry committees, but that also he and Becky have a wonderful retirement in NOTL.

3:05 pm  
Anonymous Jim said...

This is no surprise at all. Ever since Fox launched Garden Making, and retained his position with Rogers at the samne time - it was clear and obvious that his tenure with Rogers would come to an end before long.

The one thing that is surprising however, is how long he was able to hang in at Rogers after the launch of Garden Making.

Kudos to Mr. Fox - pretty sweet deal. All the best to him and to Garden Making!

3:30 pm  
Anonymous Bill Shields said...

Michael Fox, the Deep Blue of all things circulation.

7:30 pm  

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