Meet Randy
| Name: | Randy |
| Company: | Random House of Canada Limited |
| Title: | Associate Marketing Director |
| Location: | Mississauga, Ontario |
My life in a nutshell:
I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto. I now live minutes away from the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, which is such a fairy tale because every day I pass by the water slides and the fairgrounds where I used to play as a kid.
I spent a summer of my life working in a bookstore in London, England, where they made me change my name because ‘randy’ is a funny word over there.
Describe your educational background. Where did you study, what degrees did you receive?
I have an English degree from Queen’s University in
Describe your career history. What have been your professional experiences prior to your current position?
My first few years in the publishing industry were full of change, chaos and fun. I started at Penguin
What are your current roles and responsibilities?
I oversee the job flow into our design department, which means that all projects – whether it be event posters, bookmarks, sales kits or bookstore displays – pass through my desk. I’m responsible for figuring out the creative text, the budget, the cost, the quantity, and the distribution.
Describe a typical day at your job:
Wow, that’s a tough one to answer. Each day is so different than the previous day (which is probably why I love my job so much) and depending on the time of year, I can be concentrating on trade shows like Book Expo or The Word On The Street Festival, or on book club marketing, or on a sales conference, or on getting event posters out to bookstores for an upcoming author reading. Most days, it’s all of the above!
What attracted you to your company and position? What is your favorite thing about your job?
Random House’s reputation in
What has been your most memorable moment (so far) in your job?
Dressing up as a Berenstain Bear and parading around
If you could meet anyone from history, living or dead, who would it be?
The Spice Girls are reuniting, aren’t they?
If I were a cartoon character, I would be?
Mighty Mouse. Small but fierce!
What qualities do you feel are necessary to be a successful employee at your company?
Well, one of the things I’m proud of is keeping a sense of balance and calm despite flurries of activity and duties all around. You have to be prepared to dive in and do dirty work, and you have to be organized and ready for change. Although it goes without saying, you also must love books and reading. I mean, you have to love it so much that you smell the paper and live to hear that crack of the spine on a new book.
Have you had the opportunity to travel as part of your job?
I used to. But with fancy technology now (Web Ex, for instance), that is no longer necessary. I miss those quick visits to the Big Apple I used to do regularly.
Do you feel you have a good understanding of
I think Bertelsmann is an amazing company, and I’m not just saying that. They take work-life balance seriously, and their corporate policies reflect that. They are a generous company, and one that is incredibly dedicated to making its mark on the world. I consider myself lucky to be working here.
My favorite book, movie and artist are...
Book: Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson; Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald; Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy; Incendiary by Chris Cleave.
Movie: Wonderland; Wild Reeds; Beautiful Thing; Empire Records
Musical Artist: Belle and Sebastian, Sigur Ros, The Hidden Cameras,Galaxie 500
Finally, please write a paragraph or two about yourself, your interests, hobbies, goals, meaningful life experiences, role models, memories, etc.:
I’m just a guy who wakes up in the morning trying to be a good person, trying to do a good job. I love my friends and family, I love my two adorable nephews, I love my foster child from World Vision, I love traveling. And I love a good bag of Doritos (Zesty Cheese flavor).
I have an English degree from Queen’s University in
Describe your career history. What have been your professional experiences prior to your current position?
My first few years in the publishing industry were full of change, chaos and fun. I started at Penguin
What are your current roles and responsibilities?
I oversee the job flow into our design department, which means that all projects – whether it be event posters, bookmarks, sales kits or bookstore displays – pass through my desk. I’m responsible for figuring out the creative text, the budget, the cost, the quantity, and the distribution.
Describe a typical day at your job:
Wow, that’s a tough one to answer. Each day is so different than the previous day (which is probably why I love my job so much) and depending on the time of year, I can be concentrating on trade shows like Book Expo or The Word On The Street Festival, or on book club marketing, or on a sales conference, or on getting event posters out to bookstores for an upcoming author reading. Most days, it’s all of the above!
What attracted you to your company and position? What is your favorite thing about your job?
Random House’s reputation in
What has been your most memorable moment (so far) in your job?
Dressing up as a Berenstain Bear and parading around
If you could meet anyone from history, living or dead, who would it be?
The Spice Girls are reuniting, aren’t they?
If I were a cartoon character, I would be?
Mighty Mouse. Small but fierce!
What qualities do you feel are necessary to be a successful employee at your company?
Well, one of the things I’m proud of is keeping a sense of balance and calm despite flurries of activity and duties all around. You have to be prepared to dive in and do dirty work, and you have to be organized and ready for change. Although it goes without saying, you also must love books and reading. I mean, you have to love it so much that you smell the paper and live to hear that crack of the spine on a new book.
Have you had the opportunity to travel as part of your job?
I used to. But with fancy technology now (Web Ex, for instance), that is no longer necessary. I miss those quick visits to the Big Apple I used to do regularly.
Do you feel you have a good understanding of
I think Bertelsmann is an amazing company, and I’m not just saying that. They take work-life balance seriously, and their corporate policies reflect that. They are a generous company, and one that is incredibly dedicated to making its mark on the world. I consider myself lucky to be working here.
My favorite book, movie and artist are...
Book: Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson; Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald; Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy; Incendiary by Chris Cleave.
Movie: Wonderland; Wild Reeds; Beautiful Thing; Empire Records
Musical Artist: Belle and Sebastian, Sigur Ros, The Hidden Cameras,Galaxie 500
Finally, please write a paragraph or two about yourself, your interests, hobbies, goals, meaningful life experiences, role models, memories, etc.:
I’m just a guy who wakes up in the morning trying to be a good person, trying to do a good job. I love my friends and family, I love my two adorable nephews, I love my foster child from World Vision, I love traveling. And I love a good bag of Doritos (Zesty Cheese flavor).