In a two-part series, WhatTheyThink.com visits with the management team at Que-Net Media, the pre-media division of Quebecor World Group. In part one, CEO Chris Rudge and Jack Schuh, President and Chief Operating Officer, discuss Que-Net Media’s recent re-positioning as an industry leader in pre-media, including creative services, technology solutions and digital information management. They also announce the launch of Que-Net Media’s new Technology Solutions Centers and other company strategies to serve catalogers, retailers and publishers.

Christopher H. Rudge is CEO of Que-Net Media and President of Quebecor World Canada. He joined Quebecor Printing in 1991 and has since occupied a variety of executive positions, including Vice President, Operations, Western Canada; President, Directory Group; President, Quebecor Printing Canada; and most recently, President and Chief of International Operations, Quebecor Printing Inc. From 1986 to 1991, Mr. Rudge was Director, Sales and Marketing, with Maclean Hunter Printing in Toronto. From 1979 to 1983, he worked in the media field as sales and advertising manager with the Financial Post in Toronto. Mr. Rudge is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Queen’s University.

Jack Schuh, President & Chief Operating Officer of Que-Net Media, joined Quebecor World in February 1997. Schuh has more than 25 years of executive management experience in the printing and publishing businesses. Prior to joining Quebecor World, Mr. Schuh spent four years at World Color Press as President, Prepress Division. Other management positions included Executive Vice President of Macmillan Computer Publishing and President of Research and Review Services, an ITT publishing company. He also served as Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, Consumer Products Publishing Group, both at Science Research Associates-SRA, an IBM subsidiary. He began his professional career at IBM in the accounting and finance areas.

In the last 10 years we’ve witnessed an evolution from traditional prepress systems to desktop publishing to Computer-to-Plate and digital printing systems. Now, "pre-media." Certainly this new term reflects the industry’s recognition of the expansion of information presentation beyond mere ink-on-paper. How does Que-Net Media meet the needs of both the new web-based retailer and traditional ink-on-paper publisher?

Chris Rudge: Que-Net Media integrates media, content and technologies while using the best of traditional and new media. A member of the Quebecor World Group, Que-Net Media evolved from our customers’ needs to interface with Quebecor World’s core print businesses and our need to integrate digital technologies to further serve our customers.

At Que-Net Media, we merge people skills and technology tools to capture and manage images and information from the creative source through to a broad range of media platforms. We have strategically positioned ourselves between our traditional print world and the proliferation of new web-enabled media platforms.

This vantage point provides our print customers an expanded range of services beyond pre-press imaging and other digital processing services. We now offer solutions from content creation to media asset management and automated publishing solutions. We can help customers automate their entire media production process. Depending on their needs, our solutions range from template-driven tools to customized systems. At the same time, we can rapidly attract new business and enter a broader range of markets.

As the global demand for communications in print continues to grow in parallel with a wide range of new media opportunities, we are prepared to help our clients pursue an ever-increasing range of communications opportunities.

What differentiates Que-Net Media from other major players in the market right now?

Jack Schuh: We are different because we blend the expertise of our people with technology to develop business solutions that work. Our people are leading experts in the industry, possessing some of the most advanced thinking in pre-media today. Their skills allow us to handle our client’s most challenging requirements. And we use this strength to build beyond traditional business strategies.

We invest in building specialized networks of professionals. In December 2000, Workforce Magazine awarded a Workforce Optimas Award to Quebecor World’s human resource team for its "ALLSTAR" Training Program. The program has increased customer satisfaction, improved communication and enhanced production efficiencies throughout the company.

In addition, our ability to introduce and build advanced technology solutions is a great advantage for our clients. The investment we have made in bringing people and technology together is unsurpassed in the industry. This year we will introduce four Technology Solutions Centers throughout North America. These centers are unique, client-focused facilities that help customers explore content management and automated publishing technologies. They are state-of-the-art, designed to enhance customer and staff skills through seminars, demonstrations and hands-on training.

Clients can visit our centers this spring, when we will hold open houses at the new Technology Solutions Centers in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Later this year, we will open an additional Technology Solutions Center in Toronto.