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This profile might have appeared in the pages of Rolling Stone magazine, had Gary Evans pursued his dream of becoming a rock star. But the Manchester-born 43-year-old insists that print, while it might not involve the glamour and excess of rock ’n’ roll, has gone some way to satisfying his creative instincts.

In his 11th year as strategic print manager at Marks & Spencer Money, having flitted back and forth between customer and supplier roles over the previous decade, Evans now knows his creativity has its place. “I like to make suggestions, though the creative agencies don’t always respond well to that,” he says.

But there’s no doubt his CV, which includes stints in design, repro, estimating, production control, purchasing and sales, has given Evans a clear understanding of all aspects of the supply chain.

“It’s always good to be on the customer side because you have more control,” he says. “As a supplier, you have to do whatever the customer wants.”

Evans discovered the extent of this when he took a job at the Co-op Wholesale Society in 1989, where he spent five years purchasing origination and print, checking proofs and advising on colour correction before moving back to the supply side at Winnetts Graphics in 1994. That was where he first came into contact with M&S, managing the packaging for ladies’ lingerie. “I spent quite a lot of time walking around the stores looking carefully at hosiery packaging. It must have looked very strange,” he says.

His move to M&S Money would mean many more hours in the iconic department store as he helped to build on an established brand. Evans has also been at the forefront of the transition from print to electronic communications.

“I’ve had to oversee an expansion into e-commerce and my experience has had to stretch to non-print areas – and that has felt strange at times,” he admits. “But it makes you realise that there’s more to marketing than just print.”

The knock-on effect of managing a wider range of media has been the streamlining of suppliers. “We used to get quotes on a job-by-job basis, but now we have more of a partnership approach with a set pricing structure. We have a list of 12 suppliers now, whereas 10 years ago there were three times that number.”

The changes happen to suit Evans, who thrives on the variety, as well as the creativity, required. “I’m involved in so much more than just print and marketing now. The other day I had to help with the purchase of cash-counting machines.”

One challenge remains constant, however: bridging the gap between supplier and customer. “Dealing with people who don’t understand that printers can’t just meet a schedule at the drop of a hat is frustrating. Also, trying to keep both customers and suppliers happy is hard. I’ve straddled both sides and they are different worlds. It’s hard to explain the requirements of one to the other.”

But it’s the finished job that keeps him interested, whether it is a piece of direct mail, a brochure or a statement insert. “The best part of the job is when you see the finished product in the store or on your doormat – a physical result, something tangible, and you know that you were involved in the whole process,” he says.

So while he may not be nurturing a rock career, he is communicating – whether it be though print or electronically – to a mass audience. “We’re working on a joint venture with HSBC at the moment and I’ve started to see the larger picture of how a huge bank manages its print services. I hope that will help me in my endeavour to build M&S Money into a more recognised brand.”

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GARY EVANS
Qualifications Diploma in print and marketing at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University)
Industry experience Started at Brandprint, followed by three years in BPCC labels division. In 1989 he joined CWS and in 1994 he joined Winnetts Graphics, before taking on print purchasing at M&S Money
Best part of the job The tangibility of the end result, with the knowledge of being involved in the whole process
Worst part of the job Trying to explain to people why printers can’t simply do a job at the drop of a hat