Posted: June 9th, 2022
RON JEPP, a popular and efficient operator in MGN’s house management network, died on May 13, [2022].
Ron started work as a clerk with Odhams Press in August, 1948, at the age of 15. After two years’ National Service in the RAF, he returned to work in the advertisement department before becoming office manager for the section in 1965.
Following the move to 33 Holborn, Ron undertook a variety of advertisement admin roles over the next few years before becoming MGN’s administration services executive. He was responsible for the Group’s car fleet of 500 vehicles, as well as communications operations at Mirror Group. His son Andrew said: “We always remember him coming home with different cars he was test-driving, including a particularly unreliable Ford Cortina which broke down while disembarking from a cross-channel ferry, much to the annoyance of all those behind us!”
In 1988, Ron’s role expanded to include facilities management as directed by Robert Maxwell. This included buildings and house management, security, transport, and communications – with a total budget of around £12m. In March of the same year, Robert Maxwell set up Maxwell Building Enterprises, a subsidiary of Pergamon Holdings, to carry out all group building work and property administration, and Ron was appointed managing director. Eventually this was merged back into MGN, where Ron served as operations director.
Ron’s final year at MGN was spent on big relocation assignments for Robert Maxwell – including MGN from Holborn to Canary Wharf, and Berliner Zeitung out of East Berlin. He retired shortly after Robert Maxwell’s death.
Ron met his wife, Evelyn, at Odhams Press in Long Acre, when she was assistant secretary to the advertisement manager. They were married for 64 years, and had three children and eight grandchildren. Ron lived a long and happy life, and during retirement he enjoyed buying and selling old books, and researching his family tree.