About Focus

Focus is a world leading publisher of corporate and stakeholder custom books (including governments in Australia and around the world, government departments and industry associations).

By integrating books into their positioning and marketing strategy Focus provides our clients with:

• a high-quality, permanent interface to the client's customers and key stakeholders, and
• access to business and government decision makers worldwide.

The Focus story

Focus was founded in 1989 by the current CEO, Jaqui Lane and leading Australian businessman, Steven Rich.

Our mission was to create high-quality books for business and government. Over the past 19 years Focus has published over 400 titles, worked throughout Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

International trade and industry sector books have secured the support of many of the world's business and government leaders.

In 2006, Jaqui Lane undertook an MBO following the passing of Steven Rich. In 2008 Focus merged with a boutique custom magazine/seminar business, Tomahawk Media.

The current Directors of Focus are Jaqui Lane and Nicholas Assef.

Focus Executive Management Team

Jaqui Lane - Chief Executive Officer
Jaqui@focus.com.au

Jaqui co-founded Focus in 1989 with Steven Rich. In 2006 she undertook a MBO and is now the sole owner of the company.

Jaqui has worked with business and government leaders around the world creating their individual books or developing major bi-lateral and trade books. These publishing projects have carried her across Europe, Asia and the Middle East as well as throughout Australia.

As the owner and CEO of Focus she is driving the expansion of the company into international markets.

Educated with a first class honours degree in politics (Auckland,) her masters thesis was on New Zealand-USSR trade and commercial relations from 1900-1984. She worked in the New Zealand National Party for three years as youth director and advisor to Ruth Richardson, MP.

A published author, she co-wrote Champions of Enterprise - The History of Entrepreneurship in Australia, 1788-1990 for the ASX.

A proponent of empowering women in business and commerce, Jaqui is currently the New South Wales President of Women Chiefs of Enterprises International, the local arm of a worldwide business women owner's organization.
www.wcei.com.au

In addition, Jaqui is on the board of the Women's College within the University of Sydney (the leading residential college for university women in Australia).
www.thewomenscollege.com.au

As founding member of the newly formed Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library Group, this charity was established to provide books for homeless people in Sydney, Australia.
www.footpathlibrary.org

Memberships

• Fellow Australia Institute of Company Directors: www.companydirectors.com.au
• Member of Australia – India Business Council: www.aibc.org.au
• Member of Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industries: www.austarab.com.au
• Member of Australia Japan Business Association: www.ajba.com.au

Albert Kendall – Chief Financial Officer
albertk@focus.com.au

Albert is responsible for keeping this rapidly growing company on the fiscal rails.

He has had a long career in financial management having worked in both the UK and Australia. In Sydney, he has served as a client accounts manager at the accounting firm of Page Harrison & Co and the financial services company UC Group.

A dual passport holder born in Szczecin, Poland, and raised in Australia, Albert received a degree in economics at the University of Sydney. Albert brings to the business over twenty years' experience in financial management.

Peter Hock – Editorial Director
peterh@focus.com.au

It was the prospect of producing first-class publications for all sorts of clients from all over the world that drew Peter to Focus.

Early in his career, Peter was hired for a week-long project by the Sydney-based design and publishing house Billy Blue Group for a week to write an in-house magazine for Lend Lease Corporation. He ended up leaving four years later after becoming associate creative director and, in the words of founder and creative director Ross Renwick, “the most important person in the organization”.

In his subsequent role as writer/creative director at corporate communications specialist Horniak & Canny, Peter wrote and directed all sorts of jobs in all media for a broad range of prestigious Australian clients, including Bankers Trust Australia, Coca-Cola Amatil, AMP, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Fairfax Corporation.

A native of Sydney, Australia, Peter holds an honours degree in English literature from Macquarie University.

Alison Maybury – Production Manager
Alisonm@focus.com.au

Alison brings ten years of experience working in a variety of production management, traffic, pre-press and design capacities within the advertising, printing and publishing industries.

She has used her considerable skill set to streamline the editorial and design-to-production cycle and to ensure that the talented design team is capable of meeting all deadlines without compromising quality.

She is also responsible for sourcing and securing the very best paper stocks for any specified project at the very best pricing to suit our clients' needs.

Prior to joining Focus, Alison has worked for an array of Australian companies including Tranny's Digital Photo & Imaging, BFM Advertising and Haymarket Media & AJB Publishing.

Born in Sydney and raised on the north coast of New South Wales, Alison studied graphic design and pre-press in Sydney.

She is highly skilled, deeply knowledgeable and able to deal efficiently and effectively with the regularly and rapidly changing requirements of customer publishing.

Laurence Shaw – Director of International Business Development
laurences@focus.com.au

Laurence is responsible for strengthening Focus' position as a truly global company. He manages a highly skilled, international sales team dedicated to providing corporations and governments a platform to promote their strengths and activities to key decision makers on the world stage.

Prior to joining Focus, Laurence served ten years as the director of international sales and marketing for World Eye Reports, a boutique media agency producing promotional country reports for the Japan Times and China Daily newspapers.

Born in the United States, Laurence holds degrees in journalism and film from Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana). He has done projects as a manager, salesperson, editor and journalist across six continents in over fifty countries.

Cath Marr – Marketing Manager
cathm@focus.com.au

Cath is responsible for Focus marketing, communications and distribution. Delivering strategic results on behalf of the high level corporate and government client base is core to the success of Focus.

Prior to joining Focus, Cath had over 15 years experience across both the sales and marketing arena in entrepreneurial and corporate environments. Whilst living in America the past 4 years, she has strengthened her marketing expertise, most recently in California, working in the online, high-end travel market.

Cath is a native of Brisbane, Australia and is passionate about travel and living abroad, which continues to teach her more about herself.