Verdon-Roe (pictured on right) was presented with the prestigious award by The Rt Hon the Lord Heseltine (pictured in centre), founder and Chairman of the Haymarket Group, and Arnaud de Puyfontaine (pictured on left), Chief Executive of The National Magazine Company, at a ceremony at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s flagship headquarters in Bishopsgate, London on September 29.
Verdon-Roe received a citation and an honorarium of £1,000 as well as the silver trophy, which is a replica of the emblem of Eagle comic, launched by Rev. Marcus Morris OBE in 1950.
He said: "The past 35 years have been a great experience and I am extremely proud to receive this year's Marcus Morris Award. This is a great industry founded on what I believe is the best editorial and creative talent in the world. Through my work with Haymarket and, more recently, the PPA, I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the wider UK magazine publishing family."
Barry McIlheney, Chief Executive of the PPA, added: “I am absolutely thrilled that this year’s Marcus Morris Award is going to Eric Verdon-Roe. He is one of life’s true gentlemen, an enviable font of knowledge on all matters to do with our industry, and, when it comes to the PPA, an absolute rock.”
Verdon-Roe began work at Haymarket in February 1976 before moving up to take responsibility for the consumer division in 1990. He was appointed Managing Director of the Haymarket Group in May 2000 and worked with then Chairman Michael Heseltine to expand the company internationally and into the digital arena, creating a publishing business with market-leading and multi-platform positions in the business, consumer, exhibitions and customer publishing sectors.
After leaving Haymarket in 2009, Verdon-Roe worked as a consultant at the PPA before launching Chelsea AutoLegends, held this autumn at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
About the Marcus Morris Award
The PPA says: “The Marcus Morris Award is the highest accolade in magazine publishing in the UK and was established by the PPA and endowed by The National Magazine Company (Hearst UK) in 1990. The award recognises and commemorates the exceptional career and outstanding contribution to the UK magazine industry of The Reverend Marcus Morris OBE.”
About PPA
The PPA says: “The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) protects and promotes the interests of print and online publishers of consumer and business media in the UK. The PPA has around 200 publishing companies in its membership, which collectively produce more than 2,500 consumer and business magazines and journals as well as digital media, data products and events.”
