What Are We Doing??

Many of you have asked us what it is we are actually doing out here for two years, so we thought it might be helpful to give you a summary…

Gareth – Commercial Director, STL OM Books

In Milton Keynes, I worked for Authentic Media, part of the STL Group. STL in the UK consists of Authentic (product creation/marketing), STL Distribution (wholesale/contract distribution), and Wesley Owen (retail). In India they have a similar set-up and I will work in all three areas – product creation, distribution, and retail. The purpose of the role is to develop the key relationships with publishers and music labels in the West, help to expand the sales channels through which our products are sold, and work on the marketing of these products both to the trade and the consumer. As of April 2006, STL have entered into a partnership with OM Books India. OM Books have been around for 12 years, so I am definitely not going in to teach them how to operate, but rather to use my experience in helping take them forward. (apologies if that was wordy or boring). www.stl.org

Andi – Regional Relief and Crisis Communications Manager, World Vision Asia Pacific. (TBC)

The final details of this role are still being confirmed so without saying too much, this will be a newly created position by the Asia Pacific Regional Office and for the UK office to support, which will be both exciting and challenging! If all is completed Andi will update you on what the job entails and what this will mean for her during the time in India, in the next month or so. www.wvasiapacific.org

Over the next month or so Andi's role will also consist of finding a house, ironing Gareth's shirts, preparing dinner for him every night, while spending a lot of time picking out the latest in designer sari wear. She will also be learning Hindi and how to make a chapati...so she will not be stuck for things to do.