McKay steps down from helm at PTC

Peter McKay, c.e.o. of the Publishing Training Centre (PTC), is retiring to Ireland after seven years with the company.

McKay will finish on Friday (29th June) at the PTC, which provides training offers for the publishing industry. A new c.e.o. has been appointed and will be announced shortly, a company spokesperson said.

Formerly a partner at ORMA Consulting for seven years, McKay previously worked as publishing director at the British Standards Institution as well as stints at Hodder Education and Thomason Reuters.

He told The Bookseller: “I just celebrated my 65th birthday and I thought that after 43 years working I would be happy to step down. I am moving to Ireland to immerse myself in all things Irish – particularly golf.”

In the seven years since he joined, McKay revealed that the PTC had grown “much more focused" on what training it offered the industry.

“When I joined in July 2011, there were 80 different courses which would run three, four, five times a year or more,” he said. “Now we have 24 courses and it is much more concentrated, based on what we’ve heard from the industry is important.”

McKay also described how since 2011, many more clients ask for in-company training days rather than sending their employees to the public courses, as well as more demand for e-learning which can be done in offices. The PTC’s communications are also much more web based than previously.

Looking forward, he said the PTC is working with the Publishers Association on honing the Apprenticeship Standard, slated to launch in September. 

Lis Tribe, chair of trustees, said: “During his time at the helm, Peter modernised the organisation and revamped its training offer, while never losing sight of the PTC’s charitable status and remit.  He leaves the PTC in good shape, and he will be hugely missed.”