 |
|
| Michael Rockliff | |
Michael Rockliff, longtime sales and marketing executive at Random House and Workman, has died.
He began his career in 1968, when Bennett Cerf was still running Random House from the old Villard Houses on Madison Avenue, and he mentored multiple generations of salespeople, until his departure in 2006. He then joined Workman Publishing and spent eight years there, retiring as director, school & library sales and marketing, in 2015.
Random House colleagues remembered, "At sales conferences, he could be counted on to discuss, with equal passion, a book on displaced European Jews or a biography of a relatively obscure musician, and over time, his colleagues simply began referring to these books--many of which went on to win prizes--as 'Mike Books.' " He was also an ardent supporter of public libraries and library marketing.
Workman colleagues remembered that Rockliff "brought a treasure of wisdom and experience to Workman and made us immeasurably better in so many ways.
"Michael was renowned for his title presentations at library conferences--never looking at his notes, his love and knowledge of the books immediately apparent. Librarians and colleagues alike admired his dedication to connecting a book with its reader and were drawn to his gracious and kind presence. And to know Michael was to know how cherished his family was. Whether it was Carla's appearance at a show or his fatherly pride whenever his daughter published a book, it was an inspiration for all."
In lieu of flowers, his family suggests a donation to the Musicians Foundation, one of the many causes Rockliff supported.