Early Starts, Profits, and Belonging to a Corporation

As you may or may not know, Hot Key Books is one rather lovely branch of a great big Bonnier Publishing tree. On Tuesday, I got to find out just how ruddy enormous that tree is, as I went to an internal profit training workshop in Chichester with my homeboyz Cait Davies, Kate Manning, Tristan Hanks and Jan Bielecki.

Looking like a stern and slightly baffled version of my grandmother whilst learning about profit. Yes, on a golf course – where else?

I had never been to Chichester before, so as you can imagine, I was excited about this trip. However, I was less excited about my 5am alarm. Yes, 5AM! Turns out Chichester is quite a way away, and as anyone will tell you I do not start fully functioning until well after 9am. I have to admit, I was worried I would fall asleep during the workshop.

BUT. As as it turns out, profit is actually very interesting. And it is especially interesting when you are part of an aformentioned big publishing tree, as you can see how your profits and your colleagues’ profits are an integral part of a much bigger picture – indeed, for Bonnier, a €3,000,000,000 picture. Yes, THREE BILLION EUROS. Even I had no idea we were that big!

And I know what you’re thinking. Surely a corporation worth three billion euros has fat-cat board members who sit upon piles of money, laughing whilst they destory the rainforest using their endangered-species animal slaves – like all global corporations do, obviously.

But fear not, for Bonnier is no such thing. Indeed, we couldn’t be less like that if we tried. Consider this:

• Bonnier has been a family-run business since its beginnings as a humble bookstore in 1804 – Jonas Bonnier remains in charge of us all.
• We definitely don’t destory the environment (although I would like a monkey-servant) – Bonnier have a committed Green Team, in Sweden the printing presses are powered using low emission electricity and all of Hot Keys’ books use FSC approved paper – and we recycle EVERYTHING in the office.
• Bonnier certainly don’t sit on their profits – Hot Key Books is proof of that! We’re a start-up publishing company established during a time when people think it’s crazy to do so.  And we’re not the only one – Bonnier are constantly investing in new companies and expanding their current ones.
• Unlike some other corporate giants, Bonnier is very much an equal opportunities employer. In the UK alone, 71% of Bonnier  employees are women – and that includes Managing Directors and Chief Operating Officers.
• Everyone is lovely. Honest.

So as you can see, if you’re going to work for a vast, corporate, global empire, Bonnier is the one to go for. It feels so exciting to be a part of such a dynamic and diverse company, and I feel nothing but privileged to be its employee. If you’d like to read more about Bonnier have a look here: http://www.bonnier.com/en

(Can I please have my monkey-servant now Jonas?)