Type Network turns a page

After leading Font Bureau, Webtype, and Type Network for almost three decades, Sam Berlow stepped down as the CEO of Type Network at the end of November. “It has been rewarding and fun to be part of a team that has designed fonts for great designers and their clients, companies, and publications, all while building an incredible and unique type library,” he said. “At Type Network, we have developed a business and a platform to help type designers do what they do best while remaining independent: draw type.” From his perch on Martha’s Vineyard, Berlow will remain on Type Network’s board of directors, and will also offer advice and strategic thinking as a consultant for our partners in the type and tech sectors.

Paley Dreier has moved up to become the president of Type Network. Previously, he served as the general manager of Type Network for two years and of Webtype for six years. In his new role, he will manage all aspects of the business, focusing on content strategy, enterprise and multinational licenses, and custom design projects on behalf of our foundry partners. Dreier earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematical economics from Wesleyan University and holds an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business. Before being adopted by the type world, he was the director of business strategy and operations at MTV Networks. Prior to working at MTV, Dreier led sales, marketing, and product development teams at Dealogic, a financial software company. “I’m stoked to further Type Network’s mission of finding and supporting the world’s best type designers and connecting them with typographers and other discerning users of type,” he said. Dreier lives on a farm in New Jersey with his wife, Lauren. He likes playing ice hockey, skiing, mixed modal strength training, and eating snacks.

Michelle Perham is uniquely qualified to follow in Dreier’s footsteps as Type Network’s general manager. As the operations manager, she was responsible for a multitude of tasks ranging from sales and customer support to testing, database administration, and project management. This broad spectrum gave her intimate knowledge of every aspect of Type Network’s business. Perham’s love affair with type, sparked during graduate school at the Rochester Institute of Technology, led her to Adobe, where she tested fonts in early versions of Adobe InDesign. She later moved on to Microsoft, spending eight years working on font projects as a program manager. Perham’s extracurricular activities included two consecutive terms as a board member for the Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA), where she wrangled TypeCon volunteers and served as treasurer. She joined Webtype in 2015 and later moved over to Type Network. Perham lives in Seattle, where she loves spending time in the mountains skiing and hiking with her family. “I’m excited to be working more closely with Jill and Paley,” Perham said, “and I’m eager to continue getting to know more of our partners and customers.”

Jill Pichotta is now the vice president of Type Network, a function she will combine with her current role as principal product manager. In 1991, Pichotta began working for Font Bureau as an apprentice to David Berlow, honing her skills on projects for Rolling Stone, Esquire, Condé Nast Traveller, the New York Times, Apple, and other major brands. She has managed the production of retail releases for independent designers since 1993, and has contributed several of her own typefaces to Font Bureau’s library. Over the years, she has divided her time between various retail, custom, and OEM projects. In conjunction with its mid-2016 launch, Pichotta took on the role of Type Network’s principal product manager, overseeing type development and quality for the company’s global alliance of foundry partners. “It’s a privilege to work with this group of talented people,” she said. “I look forward to continuing to provide high-quality and innovative type.” Pichotta lives with her family in a happy valley in Western Massachusetts. She enjoys traveling to new destinations, playing guitar, collecting floaty pens, and voting. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose: all of us at Type Network are grateful to Sam Berlow for his guidance and friendship, and are excited to see what the future brings.