Kate Griffin to retire after 13 'satisfying and exciting' years at Profile

It is reported overnight that Kate Griffin, Publicity, Sales and Marketing Director at Profile, is to retire at the end of March 2010, after 13 years with the company.

Kate will be well remembered by many in the NZ book trade where she began her publishing career, I seem to recall as a sales rep in the South Island for OUP, before she headed to the UK where initially she worked for Virago.

Her father John Griffin, a distinguished bookseller (founder of the UBS Bookshop chain) and publisher, lives in retirement in Auckland.

Here is The Bookseller on Kate Griffin's retirement:

Kate Griffin, publicity, sales and marketing director at Profile, is to retire at the end of March 2010, after 13 years with the company.

She will continue to be involved with Profile/Serpents Tail, and in her role on the commercial board of the LRB, as well as pursuing other projects.

Griffin said: "I joined Profile when the company was just 10 months old and though it is the right time for me to step down because there are so many other things I want to do I will be very, very sad to leave. "The Profile team is the smartest and most fun I have ever worked with and it is at Profile that I have enjoyed some of the most satisfying and exciting moments of my professional life too."

Profile m.d. Andrew Franklin said: "Over the last 13 years Kate has made the most amazing contribution to Profile, transforming the fortunes of books to make them into major bestsellers. Without Kate many of our most celebrated successes would have just been averagely notable. I for one will miss her greatly . . . These are huge boots to fill—but in due course, we will appoint a successor.'