Welcome

Sarah Cullen • Editor

Welcome to our May/Jun issue!

Now, you may be wondering why our Welcome page is splashed with random pictures of this old man (he’s not that old, he just hates us calling him that!) …? For those of you who might not know him, let me introduce Stephen Quiligotti. As he is more affectionately known, “Quili” was darc’s international sales manager and has been an integral part of building the magazine over the years. He is the life and soul of any party, as well as at Mondiale Publishing where he's worked for the last 24 years.

We now bid him adieu as he departs us, and the UK, for a new life in France with his beloved wife Isabelle. The pair are returning to Isa’s hometown near Cognac to enjoy a well-earned slower pace of life and enjoy each other’s company in the sunshine. For those of you who do know him, I’m sure you can imagine the void he is going to leave in [d]arc media’s office. Always one to bring a smile to our faces as we tear our hair out around deadlines, he has been an absolute joy to work with!

Well-known for his bright, floral shirts and cheeky personality, Quili was such a fun travel buddy. And between myself and Helen, we have travelled across the world together to attend trade shows, press trips, and showroom visits. There was one year Helen and Quili ventured to Italy on a road trip for a week - and from what I gather, they were just about speaking by the end of it despite the flat tyres and wrong directions along the way!

Quil’s generosity knows no bounds too. He always helps those less fortunate than him, withdrawing cash to give to the homeless numerous times, donating his (practically new at the time) sofa to me when I moved house, and gifting a few of us on the team free tickets to a Metallica gig to name just a few examples.

Now, before this sounds more like an obituary than a farewell, I am sure I speak for all at [d]arc media - and Mondiale Publishing as a whole - he will be sorely missed. Thanks for everything pal!