At Publishers Group West headquarters in Berkeley, Calif., last week, scores of colleagues past and present gathered from near and far to wish Susan Reich well before she retires as president at the end of the month.
"If I had known I was going to see all of you guys in one place, I would have done this a long time ago," said Reich. With a nod to agent Carole Bidnick, who first introduced Reich to PGW's founders, Reich recalled having a seven-hour job interview in the 1990s, "and I swear I said seven words." They must have been the right words: Reich joined PGW. She's tried to leave a few times, only to return and eventually become company president in 2007.
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| Incoming PGW president Sean Shoemaker with Susan Reich and Charlie Winton. | |
Company founder Charlie Winton proclaimed to Reich, "You're such a wise person in all ways." Even as the head of the company, he noted, Reich remained engaged at sales conference to the very last title. "I'm sure you will have a wonderful adventure and keep going," said Winton. "And I am sure everyone will stay connected because that's the nature of this business."
V-p of sales Elise Cannon credited Reich with bringing "so much grace and power" to the company. She recalled that Susan was never too busy to hear about someone's vacation and was known for writing helpful Post-it notes in her "teeny tiny" handwriting. "So many people in this office are having a hard time this week," Cannon said. Especially for her female colleagues, she added, Reich was an ideal role model: smart, and "a kind and caring citizen."
Perseus president and CEO David Steinberger made a special trip to California to honor Reich. "She is amazing in her integrity and straightforwardness, and always doing the right thing for her people and the company and the books," he said. Not everyone, he noted, is inundated with nice phone calls when they announce their retirement.
In classy Reich style, she ended her brief comments by telling the crowd, "Each and every one of you has added to my life." --Bridget Kinsella