Against the Grain Profile: Richard Charkin

Born & lived: Born in London UK and have lived there and Oxford, with two short stretches in Boston.
Early life: Perfectly fine, thank you.
Family: One wife, three children, and four grandchildren so far.
Education: Natural Science Tripos, Trinity College, Cambridge, Part 2 History and Philosophy of Science.
Advanced Management Program, Harvard Business School.
First real job: Science editor, George Harrap and Co, London
Professional career and activities
1971-3 Harrap
1973-4 Pergamon Press
1974-88 Oxford University Press
1988-95 Reed Elsevier
1995-7 Current Science Group
1997- Macmillan Publishers and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck
Current non-executive roles at Wisden Group, Melbourne University Press, University of the Arts London, London Business School, British Library, Baldons Cricket Club, and Common Purpose
In my spare time I like: Music, sport.
Favorite books: Flatlands, Billy Bunter, Blandings
Pet peeves/what makes me mad: Overcomplexity and lousy signage and bad spelling.
Philosophy: Occam’s Razor
Most meaningful career achievement: Computerisation of the OED.
Goal I hope to achieve five years from now: Survival
How/Where do I see the industry in five years: Search me. And I don’t believe anyone else has a truly better answer to this question.