Roberta Samec (co-owner/associate partner) lives in Toronto. She is the representative for Toronto Southwestern and northern Ontario. Prior to joining Hornblower Books in 2006, she worked for 4 years as a sales representative for Kate Walker & Company, where she represented publishers in Toronto, northern Ontario and Atlantic Canada. Prior to that she worked at an independent bookstore in Toronto – The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Roberta has an honours degree in English and Communications and a post-graduate certificate in Book & Magazine Publishing. Her accounts include Chapters and Indigo Books, general bookstores, and library markets.

Karen Stacey (co-owner/associate partner) is representative for Québec and lives in Montréal. In 1977 she began working in the book industry with Nicholas Hoare, a library wholesaler serving school and public libraries across Canada. In 1983 she joined Penguin Canada, first as a sales representative for eastern Canada then Trade Sales Manager and Product Manager for Children’s Publishing, responsible for National sales and marketing. She joined Hornblower Books as a partner and owner in 1994. Karen sells to independent bookstores, gift and stationary accounts, universities, library wholesalers and special markets. Her accounts include Costco Canada.  She is fluent in English and French.

Laurie Martella (associate partner) is the representative for Atlantic Canada and Eastern Ontario working out of the Toronto office. She also heads up our Gift & Special Sales department. Previous to this, Laurie has worked with Scholastic Books Canada, Umbra (home decor & gift), co-owned and operated her own restaurant and worked at the Children’s Book Store in Toronto.

Louis-Marc Simard graduated from McGill University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. Following his graduation, he was promoted to English book buyer for Groupe Archambault (15 locations) in 2011. When Renaud-Bray purchased Groupe Archambault in 2015, he was kept to purchase English books for all stores (45+ locations). He is a bilingual (English and French) full-time account manager working out of the Montreal office covering all of Quebec. 

Neil MacRae is based in the Montréal office.  He is our Academic Sales Manager and the company’s administrator.