RUDDOCKS - Key Persons
Abby started her Ruddocks career in 2017, as a Business Administration Apprentice and has undertaken intensive training to understand our business, our market and our relationships. She now plays a pivotal role in ensuring we deliver excellence to our clients.
With customer service experience in both the hospitality and charity sectors, Abby now looks after the operational aspects of some of our key client relationships, including the Wildlife Trusts and Bransby Horses. As our education ambassador, she also manages all of our work experience placements, a key part of our support of education in the local community.
Ady manages all things production. Having joined Ruddocks as a printer on an adult apprenticeship in 1988, he then moved into pre-press, plate making & film planning before working his way up to Production Director.
Working to achieve optimum production across the litho and digital presses, finishing activities and client deliveries, Ady is solution driven and consults on appropriate production elements for many jobs. He is always looking for innovative ways to improve our service, capabilities and speed and was the driving force behind the commissioning of our state of the art 5 colour litho press.
Ruddocks had the pleasure to welcome Agnieszka Skarżyńska as our new Office Administrator in 2022. Aggie brought with her vast experience working in the print industry and administration, having started her own print business over 30 years ago in Poland. She acquired experience in pre-press, litho and screen printing on different types of fabrics, and even graphic design.
In her current role, she is the first point of contact for our clients and suppliers and provides essential daily support for the wider team as well as checking, processing and preparing orders for our key account managers and business development managers.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Production Operative
Paul started his working life as an apprentice printer and joined Ruddocks in 1999 as Production Overseer, but his drive and ambition for growth saw him promoted quickly to General Manager before becoming MD in 2008.
Having steered the business over the last decade Paul continues to focus on what lies ahead, to ensure continued and sustainable success for Ruddocks.
Being a firm believer in businesses supporting their local communities, he is heavily involved in supporting local charities and educational organisations.
Paul lives by a famous Shonda Rhimes quote "The only limit to your success is your own imagination"
Alex started as a Production Operative in 2022, with previous experience in the merchandise printing industry.
Eager to expand his knowledge and build new skills, Alex now handles a variety of production machines including our guillotine, perfect binding machine, and MBO folding machine, to name a few.
Alex has quickly integrated with our team and continues to learn from our experienced staff who are keen on passing down their expertise through training and supervision. This is an integral part of Ruddocks and our efforts to leave a legacy behind.
Allen currently holds the record for the longest career at Ruddocks, having joined us as a 16-year-old apprentice back in 1978!
Throughout the decades, Allen's skills have developed alongside the introduction of new technology into the business and he played an essential role in supporting the rest of the business as it continued to evolve in order to meet our clients' requirements.
Now as our Litho Print Manager, Allen specialises in creating efficiencies on the press to ensure exceptionally high-quality print, maximum capacity and less impact on the environment.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director
- Head of Client Strategy
Ian Cant joined Ruddocks in 2004 with a 1st Class Graphic Design degree in hand. He has developed and driven forward both his career and the studio over the last 18 years and now heads up the design team, leading on creative direction.
He has led the design projects for Macdonald Hotels, Visit Lincoln, University of Lincoln, England Golf and British Steel - which has received international recognition and won 7 industry awards.
Andy has over 16 years of marketing industry experience, having worked on both client and agency sides. He joined Ruddocks in 2011 as the Marketing and Creative Consultant.
Now Head of Client Strategy, he manages many of our clients' key design projects, including consulting on branding and marketing. He also focuses on ensuring our creative solutions deliver against our clients' organisational and commercial objectives.
Andy has been instrumental in managing and delivering local and national projects, including the rebranding of British Steel, LIVES and St Barnabas, as well as key campaigns for the University of Lincoln and British Canoeing.
Having found his passion for design after studying A-Level graphics and design technology, Ben pursued a degree in Graphic Design at the University of Lincoln. Shortly after graduating in 2011, he began his Ruddocks journey and now heads up various creative projects for some of our biggest clients, including Greencore, NHS, Elsoms Seeds, and the Happy Consultancy Group.
Ben also plays an essential role in improving the technology used in both our own and our clients' marketing, including our email marketing system Cross Media, as well as leading on the design of our marketing & communications portal.
Charlie joined us at the start of 2006, bringing with him over three decades of printing and dispatch experience. His skills and knowledge added significant value when he joined our team, having worked for a screen printing business for 28 years, 15 of which as a Production Manager.
At the start of his Ruddocks journey, Charlie's role focused mostly on product deliveries. But as our team grew and our services developed, his responsibilities transformed and he currently manages the dispatch processes that ensure our products are safely and neatly packed, and ready for their scheduled delivery to our clients.
The Ruddocks' values, born 134 years ago, are still very much upheld by 4th generation Henry Ruddock, who is also a leading figure in the local business community.
Henry began his career in the steel industry, before joining the NHS where he progressed to middle management. Following the unexpected passing of his father in 1997, Henry took over the reins of the Ruddocks' name, believing in the strength of the business.
As well as helping to shape the strategic direction of the business, Henry's role is one of fostering relationships and continuing to build on our solid reputation.
Ian started his Ruddocks journey at age 20, initially on a 5-week temporary contract. He was then offered a full-time position focusing on turning paper into final products, and through the years, he progressed to a supervisor role, before becoming our Finishing Manager, playing a key role in the planning and execution of the final stages of our projects.
Over the last three decades, Ian has witnessed many changes in the technology used to support the finishing processes of printed materials. Still, four decades later, his favourite task remains working on the same machine he started on - the guillotine.
Job Titles:
- Digital Marketing Executive
Iulia joined us in 2022, with a Master's Degree in Digital Marketing with Distinction from the University of Lincoln, completing our marketing team with her digital skills and knowledge.
Focusing especially on social media marketing, web content and search engine optimisation, as well as email marketing, she has taken our digital platforms to the next level through engaging online content and story-telling.
With a passion for sustainability, Iulia has also made valuable suggestions to help on our sustainability journey, including contributions to the creation and promotion of The Paper, our guide to sustainable marketing and communications.
Job Titles:
- Illustrator
- Senior Designer
James Smart joined Ruddocks in 2016, with vast experience in the design industry. As well as being a creative designer, James is also a talented illustrator. His ability to adapt his style has meant he has worked on various projects from a children's book for Bransby Horses to technical schematics for British Steel.
His calm demeanour helps to put our clients at ease and so he heads up much of our work for The Happy Learning Company, a leading training consultancy, creating programme identities and engaging learning materials for Royal Mail, Heathrow Airport and King.
Jon Jackson joined Ruddocks in 1998 with a degree in Visual Communications with Graphic Design. He was the first graphic designer in our creative studio and has seen our team expand significantly ever since.
After devising the method of archiving we have been using for over 2 decades, Jon also became in charge of processing and archiving our design files.
Jon's role continually evolved during his 25-year career, and he now plays a key part in supporting the creation of marketing & communication portals for clients such as Greencore, Butterfly Conservation, and Carers First, among others.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
Having joined Ruddocks in 2019, Mark brings with him over 30 years of multi-sector knowledge and experience across creative, print and marketing communications. By adopting a consultative approach, he works closely with clients to get a clear understanding of their business, objectives, ideals and challenges to develop solutions that deliver positive outcomes.
Mark's expertise is combined with Ruddocks' investment in innovative technologies, including Digital Store Front (DSF), enabling Brand Management and consistent marketing messaging, and our integrated marketing platform to deliver multi-channel marketing campaigns. This offers a "winning formula" for both our existing and prospective clients.
Having joined Ruddocks in 2009 as a digital printer, Martin now manages the digital production team who specialises in high quality, short run, quick turnaround and personalised print.
His expertise and graphic design background, combined with his tenacity and client focus are key to success with the ever-increasing demands in the market, driven by continual developments in technology.
As a data specialist, Martin works with some of our largest clients, including many local councils, Running Imp & NMBS, giving them complete confidence that their personalised print and mailings are taken care of accurately and on time.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
- Senior Designer
Sam joined us in 2014 as a Graphic Design graduate straight from the University of Lincoln. Now an experienced designer, with extensive creative and technical design skills, she has built some very strong relationships, leading multifaceted projects for some of our largest clients, including British Canoeing, Greencore and multiple NHS bodies.
Sam is a key part of the team and continuously delivers great results for our clients, bringing their vision and ideas to life.
Matt Hopkins looks after our London and South East clients. He joined the Ruddocks team in 2010, with over 20 years of industry experience.
As a specialist project manager, Matt works with some of our largest national clients including the Scouts and NHS. He is driven to help them succeed and an integral player in the planning and delivering of many large-scale events, from training conferences to the London Marathon!
Reinforcing our reputation for reliability, Matt is an invaluable asset to his clients, seen by many as an extension of their own team.
Mel joined the Ruddocks team in 2018, bringing with her over 15 years of relationship management experience, including a decade of industry knowledge.
Mel's focus is building on and maximising our already established relationships with local clients, in particular many of the educational and public sector organisations we work with, including the University of Lincoln and local councils, as well as clients within the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors.
Her friendly and consultative approach aligns perfectly with our values and combined with her understanding of the marketplace work perfectly together to help our clients achieve their marketing and communications objectives.
Michael started his Ruddocks story in 1989 and has looked after our hospitality sector clients ever since. As a Key Account Manager, he supports our business key account strategy to ensure we continue to develop strong, long-lasting relationships, always adding value to our clients.
His focus means he is always ahead of the game, advising on exactly the right solutions to deliver the best results. Working closely with the Macdonald Hotel Group in particular, Michael ensures we help the brand deliver its authentic, premium message across the business, whilst also managing the individual needs of each hotel within the group.
Job Titles:
- Senior Marketing Executive
Nikki Langwell joined our team in 2017 and has over 13 years of experience in the marketing field. Her vast expertise and passion for marketing communications played an essential role in the evolution of our marketing strategy and our rebranding as a Creative Production Agency.
Working closely with our Digital Marketing Executive and the rest of our creative team, Nikki manages the creation and promotion of marketing campaigns that involve Ruddocks branded materials, as well as organises, plans and executes digital campaigns that incorporate email marketing, social media, web content and SEO elements.
Job Titles:
- Illustrator
- Senior Designer
Robyn Duncan joined our design studio in 2021, bringing almost a decade of experience as a graphic designer and illustrator. After studying art and graphic design in college, Robyn pursued a degree in Graphic Design at the University of Lincoln.
Right after graduating in 2012, Robyn was offered a 1-year internship that opened many doors for them afterwards. With experience in the print industry, both in-house and in agencies, Robyn's skills as well as their passion for photography have made them the perfect addition to our team, and have since added great value to our clients, particularly The Scouts.
Tristan joined the business in 2001 as an apprentice film planner. Expertise in digital technology, together with his passion for clients and determination to further grow the business has seen him progress from digital printer and data specialist into his current role, heading up our sales team.
Continually looking for ways to enhance our offering, increase efficiencies and improve the client experience through investment, he led the installation of a new management information system and online ordering facility.
His focus is now on the future development of the business through the implementation of a new business strategy.
With over 20 years in the print and design industry, Verity has developed a wealth of experience across departments and roles, including customer service, office management and estimating. She now looks after some of our biggest clients across Lincolnshire.
Since joining Ruddocks in 1998, she has developed strong client relationships. Verity specialises in project consultancy and providing bespoke solutions for many of our clients, across a number of sectors including education, accountancy, sport and software solutions. Our customers value Verity's knowledge, personal approach and can-do attitude, which is the epitome of Ruddocks' commitment to customer service.
Zarah started her career at Ruddocks in 2008 as a Key Account Manager, looking after the University of Lincoln to begin with, and then gradually accumulated other key accounts such as Macdonald Hotels, Elior, Childbase and OSIRIS, to name a few.
Ten years later, in 2018 when the opportunity arose within the business to take on a different challenge, Zarah decided to retrain as an Estimator. Ever since, she has played a key part in assessing project requirements, analysing costs, and providing accurate estimates that form the basis for pricing, proposals, and decision-making for potential clients or projects.
Amy's passion for creative work ignited early on, prompting her to study Graphic Design during her A-levels and later pursue a degree at the University of Lincoln. She is a creative as well as technical designer and has accumulated over a decade of experience in graphic design, in both in-house and agency roles.
Amy joined the Ruddocks' design studio in 2015 and her expertise is integral to projects encompassing brand strategy, identity development, web design solutions, and event asset creation.
She heads up creative projects for prominent clients such as the NHS, Elior UK, and Macmillan Cancer Support.