Anne Ellis retires from Thomson Reuters
Fifteen years is an extraordinary run in any job. But 15 years with a front-row seat in service to the librarian community, at a time of unprecedented change in the legal market, makes the time Anne Ellis has led the Librarian Relations program for Thomson Reuters even more extraordinary. It is thus with a mixture of gratitude and genuine sadness that we report Anne has decided to retire from Thomson Reuters, effective at the end of the year.
In her time at Thomson Reuters, legal information has truly gone digital, and Facebook friends and Twitter followers have replaced the Rolodex as symbols of one’s influence. But it’s also fair to measure one’s impact on the business by the number of customers and colleagues who would happily claim to be friends and admirers.
And by this measure, Anne is without peer.
Anne joined West Publishing with the charge to build a formal librarian relations program and forge stronger ties to the librarian community. She was the point for formal and informal communications with associations and customers on products, support, and research issues. And Anne was the face of our business with a customer group that expects nothing short of our best, and is uncompromising in holding us accountable. She has hosted countless advisory board meetings, industry roundtables and focus groups. She created and directed symposia and coursework that examined the future of the librarian profession and the profound impact ‘digital’ has had on the profession and our products. She has helped to put out a fire or two, and is a wonderful dinner companion. And through it all, Anne has conducted herself with grace and good humor that we should all aspire to.
Our business, the librarian community and the legal market are vastly different from 15 years ago. But change is inevitable. And Anne’s departure reminds us that we need to continue to focus on building long-term, productive and positive relationships with our most important constituents.
To ensure that we do just that, Anne’s primary customer-facing responsibilities will be assumed by Lori Hedstrom, our national manager of Librarian Relations. Lori and Anne have long partnered on our most important librarian programs, so it is with confidence that Lori will continue this important work with excellence and care, and do honor to Anne’s legacy.
And as for Anne, we congratulate her on a job well done, and wish her well in retirement. She has earned it.
