Dens and I had worked together since 1996 when I joined IOPP and she moved to Magazines (already having 6 years under her belt in Journals Production).  I have many happy memories from those early days – visits to Warners printers (along with the traditional trip to the local Chinese restaurant with Eric Hayhurst our account manager), the annual Magazines boat trips (one year Dens brought along a fake rubber bottom that we used to ‘moon’ at people on the river bank) and Friday late night pizzas at Renatos on King Street. 

There was a definite family feel to the Magazines department in those days and Dens was right at the core of that family.  Many years later, when we were bringing together the various functions to form the Media Group, Dens was critical in helping to build that same sense of family – of support and care for colleagues.

Physics World was so important to Dens.  Her passion and commitment to making Physics World the best it could be, shone through in everything she did.  She was the ultimate champion of product, of readers and users and of quality and integrity.  She challenged and questioned, always upholding guiding principles.  Everyone knew never to ‘solutioneer’ in a product development context.  You’d be on the receiving end of a steely glance and, “I don’t want solutions, tell me the problem!” 

Dens was such fun, with a wicked sense of humour and an infectious laugh. She was kind and thoughtful.  I will miss our 1:1 meetings which were always the perfect blend of a bit of a gossip, checking in on each other and then knuckling down to the work matters of the day.

The memories of Dens’ personality and her many, many valuable contributions will stay with us.