Meet the Team

Chris Pitchford: Founder & Managing Director

Chris started at Timothy Benn Publishing in 1993 after selling his paper recycling business. He worked through the sales ranks, becoming Group Ad Manager after just 36 months. He then joined Haymarket Publishing in 1997 as Advertising Manager, later rising to Publisher. During his time at Haymarket, Chris helped launch numerous products, from magazines and newsletters to live events, as well as consistently driving revenues across a wide range of sectors. In 2007 Chris moved to EuroDirect which soon became CallCredit, the second largest credit checking agency in the UK. It was there that he honed his understanding of data and its importance in publishing and he launched the real time leads division. He then joined an independent data company as Managing Director collecting information from product warranty cards and building databases for major brands. In January 2011, Chris decided it was time to branch out on his own and he founded Real Response Media using his deep experience in data and publishing to launch a media business that generates consistent leads for its clients – as well as creating a rewarding environment for the staff.

As MD Chris is responsible for all aspects of the company but also takes a personal lead in driving sales across the Group.

Peter Grant: RRM Director and Publisher, World of Cruising

Peter started his career at Haymarket Media in 1993 and has occupied senior roles in sales, publishing and marketing across multiple brands and industry sectors. After 15 years with Haymarket, Peter joined the executive management team at Emap in 2008 shortly after its acquisition by the Guardian Media Group. As marketing director of both Haymarket and Emap, Peter developed particular expertise in building consumer and business reader databases and oversaw significant subscription growth and new digital product development across multiple brands within the media, retail, healthcare construction and public sectors. Peter joined Real Response Media in a joint sales and marketing role and became a board director of the company in 2017.

As Publisher of World of Cruising, Peter has a special responsibility for driving performance on that particular brand, but he is also tasked with building and exploiting reader databases across the Group, as well as ensuring full compliance with existing and incoming data protection laws.

Ian Westwood: Non-Executive Director

Ian has over 30 years experience in publishing. Having begun his career at VNU Business Publications he moved to Dennis Publishing where he held senior positions in advertising, publishing and marketing. He was promoted to the company’s board and became Group Managing Director in 2010, helping the executive team to drive the transformation of the business from traditional print publisher to one of the most successful, profitable and admired multi-media businesses in the UK.

He has significant experience of launch, acquisition and brand development and has recruited, coached, trained and mentored some of the brightest talents in UK publishing. At RRM he advises the Board at a strategic level and provides hands-on guidance and support to the management team and he has been charged to drive RRM digital strategy.

William Pecover: Non-Executive Chairman

William has 30 years’ experience in media and finance. After starting his career at JP Morgan he switched to publishing at Haymarket where he became Managing Director, Business Publishing Group, before moving to the USA in 2001. As Chairman & CEO of Haymarket Media Inc he built a substantial company across six states in the marketing, compliance, information security and healthcare sectors. In 2011 he moved to Manhattan Media where, as Operating Partner, he ran a group of regional and political newspapers, digital newsletters, luxury and family magazines and events. Over the course of his career William has launched, acquired and managed media businesses in the UK, Hong Kong, the USA and Canada across a very wide range of sectors.

Now settled back in the UK he advises RRM on its strategy to become a major specialist media company – an ambition he believes the company will achieve given the platform it has already established.

Peter Greene: Finance Director

Peter is a chartered certified accountant with many years of experience working within publishing. During his career he has worked for Titan Publishing (2000AD & Vertigo Comics), World Market Intelligence, Metropolis International and Haymarket’s B2B titles where he worked alongside Chris Pitchford and Peter Grant.

A sports enthusiast, Peter enjoys playing golf, football and is an FA-qualified coach who runs his son’s local youth team. When not at home, he and his family can often be found travelling around the Dordogne region in France where they camp, fish, explore and enjoy the local produce.

Vicky Mayer: Editor, World of Cruising

Vicky began her magazine career in women’s glossies before moving swiftly on to the fast-paced world of showbiz weeklies. Over the years she has worked on a wide range of titles including TV Times, Now, Woman’s Own and Cheshire Life. She also launched and edited two weekly titles, Inside Soap and Real People, which are still going strong.

Her work has taken her to Australia and back and she still loves travelling whenever she can. As a magazine junkie, you’ll find her at airports around the world spending the last of her travel money on foreign titles she can’t read but still loves to look at. She also loves social media for its instant hit, and after Portuguese custard tarts, thinks Instagram is one of the world’s best inventions.

Colette Doyle: Editor, Cruise Trade News

Colette Doyle is an award-winning magazine editor who has worked on publications in both London and the Gulf in a career spanning almost three decades. Her background as a linguist has led her to be involved with titles that have an international focus. Starting out in the 1990s covering the pharmaceutical sector, Colette moved into business travel nearly 20 years ago when she was employed at the UK’s largest privately owned publishing house, Haymarket.

She was based in Dubai for six years, during which time she helmed Business Traveller Middle East, the regional edition of the renowned London franchise, as well as being responsible for relaunching Dubai Voyager, the customer publication for leading airport retailer Dubai Duty Free. Immediately prior to joining Real Response Media, Colette worked at Metropolis International where she headed up the travel retail channel’s longest-established title and was later appointed as managing editor across both Frontier and sister title Duty-Free News International.

James Coulbault: Head of Digital Marketing

James cut his teeth in online travel marketing while working as International Marketing Manager for Europe & Americas at Australasia’s leading online travel agent, Wotif.com. Roles since then have included Barclaycard, the Nadler Hotel group and NCP, where he designed and launched the organisation’s first live website and introduced their online booking platform.

Although he specialises in digital marketing and online content, James is no stranger to the world of publishing. Over the years he has written for a number of consumer and B2B publications including Time Out, Metro and Mirror magazine The Ticket. Now he just needs to remember to stop calling cruise ships ‘boats’…