Opening the Book Furniture team

Helen Thomas - Director

Helen has worked in the book trade for over twenty years. She started her career as a bookseller and gained extensive experience working both in general and academic bookselling. After successfully overseeing a refurbishment of a major city centre bookshop Helen was asked to join Dillons Bookstores' Head Office to help to manage their expansion programme specifically looking at store layout, developing shelving systems and stock range. Her role was further expanded and she became Head of Marketing for Dillons Bookstores responsible for a budget of over £2 million per annum.

Today, as well as being a director of Opening the Book Furniture, Helen runs Book Communications, an independent consultancy working within the library and literature sectors. Book Communications has project manged a wide range of library-based initiatives, including arts-based consultation for Bolton Libraries, writing Brent's successful Big Lottery application and programming Young Readers, Birmingham's children's book festival.

Jane Jackson - Marketing Manager

Jane has worked in marketing and advertising for over 10 years. With a love of the arts and a marketing education, she decided to combine the two by working firstly in a theatre and then the BBC. She later became Promotions Manager at Dillons Bookstores, where she managed a national programme of marketing activity for the group.

Jane left Dillons Bookstores for an intended 3 month stint exploring the world but returned 2 years later having worked in various marketing agencies in New Zealand and Australia.

Since returning to the UK, Jane has worked for McCann Erickson advertising implementing marketing campaigns for various retailers & fmcg brands and in August 2004, joined Opening the Book as Marketing Manager.

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Chris White - Senior Warehouse Assistant / Driver

Chris has worked within the Education sector for over 5 years. He has spent time teaching English in France, Poland and Ukraine and also worked as a Learning Mentor in the UK. With additional experience in distribution, Chris joined Opening the Book Furniture in January 2011. As Warehouse Manager, Chris is responsible for managing the logistical operations at our new unit. Chris has always enjoyed learning languages and occasionally gets to use these skills whilst delivering to our customers across Europe. He is keen on travelling and enjoys going to the cinema, socialising with friends and has recently started snowboarding.

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Katrina Melia-Robinson - Marketing & Administration Assistant

Katrina manages all sales and administrative enquiries at Opening the Book Furniture. She is responsible for ensuring our customers are happy and their needs are met and spends a lot of time liaising with our warehouse staff. Katrina’s meticulous organisational skills are also useful in keeping the office running smoothly. \r\r\rWhen Katrina’s not working, she is studying for a BSc in Psychology through the Open University. And if she has any spare time at all Katrina can be found enjoying Peppa Pig with her daughter, reading or listening to her vast music collection.

Melvin Cieciora - Warehouse Assistant / Driver

Melvin has been employed by Opening the Book Furniture since January 2011 as a Warehouse Assistant/Driver.\r\r\rMel has over 30 years’ driving experience delivering to a wide range of places which comes in useful when trying to find libraries and schools.\r\rHis hobbies include football (he supports West Bromwich Albion which according to Mel, is making his hair greyer than before!), swimming, walking the family dog in the countryside and of course, driving. Melvin’s father was Polish and his mother was English. He is married, has two daughters Emma and Daniella, who are both qualified teachers.