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In conversation with... Tom Rolt
Ground Control
To Major Tom As the many posts on LinkedIn reinforce, Tom Rolt leaving the health and beauty world after an 18 years upward trajectory career path to join Hallmark as group managing director responsible for the UK, Ireland and Australia, is a big deal. Seven weeks into his new role, PG headed up to Yorkshire to meet the man who is now to add his gloss to the major UK greeting card publisher’s future direction.
hen Amanda Del Prete returned to her native Australia after three years in the ‘big chair’ as managing director of Hallmark UK, there was much talk as to who would replace her, especially as the tendency has been to promote from within the global publishing group. But changing times seemingly call for a change of approach, evidenced by the appointment of Tom Rolt, whose whole career up until now has been within the beauty and healthcare sector. Tom fully accepts that he has taken on this top job with no direct industry experience. “For that reason, I came in with no preconceived ideas. I first need to listen and learn, which will help me to identify what is working super well and what areas have room for improvement,” he says candidly. Within just a few weeks into his role, Tom has not only met all of Hallmark’s major customers - from the grocers to specialist retail group Cardzone - but also those in its supply chain, which includes specialist printer Herbert Walkers which form part of its reshoring to UK manufacturing. “I am a firm believer that you cannot learn everything from within the company’s
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four walls so I was keen to meet customers and suppliers - and Gold Crown retailers and indies are the next on my list,” he revealed. Tom has also been keen to get to know the Hallmark team. It is not for him managing the business from afar, relocating from Richmond, in south west London to his new home in the centre of Leeds to be close to the office in Bradford. “It would not be my style to run a business, especially the size of Hallmark from an ivory tower several hundred miles away from the head office. You need to be there, connecting to the people who make the company Above: Tom Rolt has embraced the steep learning curve of joining the greeting card industry. Right: A design from Hallmark’s Woodstone range that reached the finals in The Henries this year, combining contemporary artwork with sentiment. Below: Tom was delighted by the Hallmark team’s creative approach to designing The Henries 2022 ticket. (Leftright) Hallmarkers Becca Clapham, Kelly Wykman and Andy Rhoades.
tick,” he believes. In taking on the role Tom clearly recognises that he has a wonderful opportunity to build on Hallmark’s rich heritage, high brand awareness and trusted reputation for quality, transitioning it as a brand that over delivers and pre-empts the consumer’s current and future needs, be it supplied via bricks & mortar retail or online. “But I can’t do that on my own, I need good people around me - customers that we can work in partnership with, strong suppliers that share our sustainability vision and, at the heart of it all, outstandingly creative products that meet the consumer’s needs,” he says touching on his own 5Ps (detailed below right), which he has imparted to his Hallmark team. As to his first impressions of the sector, Tom admits to having been “bowled over” by the sheer creativity that abounds, not just from Hallmark, but from the huge diversity on offer from so many other publishers. “I am not surprised that the UK greeting card industry leads the world, the quality of the design out there is superb,” admits Tom. “I love that this role gives the opportunity of being so close to true creativity and manufacturing of a consumer product that really is very dear to people’s hearts. It is a true end to end job,” he told PG. As he sees it: “Greeting cards go right back to the insights of us as people. It feels like a