Jo Allen first started working for IOP Publishing in 1996 and for four years worked in various roles selling advertising in Physics World magazine. She then swapped the world of B2B publishing for B2C for a short while, heading up sales and operations for a consumer lifestyle publisher before the lure of STM was too great and she returned to IOP Publishing in 2001. Since then she has worked in book sales (back when IOP had a print books operation), as a group publisher across a portfolio of journals, magazines and conferences and as Head of B2B. Adding marketing to her role in 2009, Jo started as Head of Marketing and B2B at IOP.

Jo heads up library marketing for EMEA (The Americas and APAC library marketing being managed by VPs of marketing in those regions) and one of her favourite activities is running the Library Advisory Board, engaging with and seeking guidance from the EMEA library community. In addition to the regional library marketing, she is responsible globally for author and end-user marketing, PR, digital marketing and branding. Brand positioning and branding is a particular interest and Jo enjoys looking outside the STM arena to consumer brand principles and identifying transferable and relevant trains of thought which can be applied to strengthen both IOP’s brand and those of its publishing partners.

Remaining true to her roots, Jo also looks after B2B commercial operations – advertising sales, exhibitions and society subscription licences for Physics World.

Talking of roots, it has been a while since Jo, a graduate in Biological Sciences, has considered herself a biologist or a scientist but, even so, she is interested to see the increase in multidisciplinary research and fascinating new collaborations emerging in convergent science, which in turn drive the need for journals that reflect those converging disciplines.

Jo enjoys travel, experiencing different cultures and cuisines, and is lucky that her work for a global publisher means that she travels to Europe, Asia and the US on a regular basis. When not working, Jo enjoys yoga and running and has a recently rekindled ambition to complete a half marathon. This may be a while in being realized, however, as busy family life with a young daughter has recently been made even busier with the addition of a lively Miniature Schnauzer puppy. Busier, certainly, but also a lot of fun!