Great, it was: How editing a great magazine changed me from Journalist to Jedi

I am very proud in my career to have played a part as editor of the wonderful HR magazine, which celebrates its 25th birthday at this time. And I was delighted very recently to be asked by the magazine to reflect on my tenure between 2002 and 2006 – the full article has just been published.

In writing the piece, I stirred up some very happy memories. I’ve moved on in the last decade from being an editor to a managing director and business owner, but the lessons I learnt in those happy years fundamentally changed me.


The period showed a slow emergence of self-awareness among (and the credibility of) HR professionals. The big overarching issue was helping HR professionals to develop their commercial antennae, so the magazine consciously championed HRDs who could show others how to exert maximum influence wherever they worked.

A feature introducing a new set of rankings called ‘HR’s Most Influential’appeared at that time and ten years on, the rankings are still going strong. It was the proudest launch during my time on the magazine. And it’s as important today as a decade ago for HR professionals to champion the huge difference they can make to working lives every day. Being editor of HR magazine at that time was a massive privilege, because it allowed our team the freedom to launch several successful initiatives to build credibility for the HR profession.

In the process it fundamentally changed me as a person. I went from journalist to a sort of demented jedi – I became a passionate evangelist for helping individuals and businesses to extract every ounce of potential from themselves. It gave me a clear sense of purpose and my experiences from that time drive me on today.

Trevor Merriden was editor of HR magazine between 2002 and the end of 2006. He is now the managing director of Merriborn Media

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