MD Liz Smith asked to ‘Print HERstory’ for International Women’s Day

In the UK only around 30% of the printing industry is made up of women.

A sector which has traditionally been seen as male dominated, in recent years strides have been made to encourage more women into the industry. However, Managing Director Liz Smith, who has seen LG Davis grow into a multi-million pound Midlands print and office supplies company, hopes more can be done to level the balance.

For International Women’s Day this year Liz has been asked to Print HERstory as part of a Printing Charity focus on women in the sector.

The Printing Charity, which is one of the UK’s oldest benevolent charities stretching back almost 200 years, this year chose strong women within the sector to talk about their hopes for the future of women in the sector to encourage more women to see print as a career choice.

The campaign is part of Women’s Print HERstory month which is celebrated in March and was set up by Girls Who Print to tell the stories of the ‘fierce, fabulous females of print’, as well as the younger generation entering the industry or considering the move into print as a career.

Liz, whose Dad Ron O’Donnell set up LG Davis in Birmingham in 1962 and grew up within the industry, was one of the industry leaders chosen to comment as part of the campaign.

Focusing on her experiences and hopes for the future it was a chance for Liz to talk about the need for greater diversity in print and her hopes for a more inclusive industry.

Liz’s Dad Ron set up LG Davis as a small stationery shop in Balsall Heath 22 years ago when Liz was just a baby. As a young girl she would help out in the factory in the holidays and print just became a way of life for her. It is unsurprising that she chose to take over the reins from her dad and has continues to build on his legacy ever since.

Talking about being asked to feature in the Printing Charity campaign Liz said: “It is a real honour to be able to be part of this year’s International Women’s Day campaign. Having grown up in the industry myself I am really passionate about supporting more women to see the sector for the vibrant and evolving sector it is.“It is so important as we evolve to diversify the workforce and bring in new ideas and talent. It is why I am always looking at ways to support future growth.”

International Women’s Day was started in 1911 and is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

This year it falls on Friday 8th March and the theme is Inspire Inclusion.

Print HERstory is in its 6th year and provides resources and professional networking to women in print and graphic communications through educational initiatives, events, conferences and the Girls Who Print Podcast.

Operating nationally, The Printing Charity provide practical, emotional and financial support for people in crisis as well as championing young talent within the industry.

More information is available at Updates from The Printing Charity | News - The Printing Charity

To find out more about Managing Director Liz and her experiences within the industry read our full interview with Liz ‘Celebrating International Women’s Day’.