01.CHOICE pays tribute to former editor, John Pospisil.
CHOICE salutes an innovator, talented journalist and loving husband and father who died on 15 November 2011, just 18 days short of his 40th birthday.
John Pospisil joined CHOICE in 1994 as a young man who often expressed surprise at how lucky he was to work here. In fact, he made most of his own luck through his intellect and hard work.
In 1995, John managed to convince the conservative management of The Australian Consumers’ Association that computers would be around for some time and that there was an opportunity for a computer magazine to provide useful, unbiased information to subscribers. He was right, and CHOICE Computer, as it’s now called, stands as a multi-award winning legacy to this vision.
John left CHOICE in 1998 to pursue his interests in publishing and business, but never stopped considering the consumer in his work. He wrote a number of books as well as founding or co-founding a number of magazine titles, most of which were squarely aimed at improving the consumer’s lot in difficult marketplaces.
John was a respected editor and acted as a judge for both the Bell magazine and IT Journo Industry Awards. He was appointed as a member of the NSW Fair Trading Advisory Council, advising the then Minister for Fair Trading, Linda Burney, in the area of consumer protection.
John’s most enduring legacy is his family. He is survived by his wife Rocio and their daughters Grace and Hannah, whom he loved dearly and considered his best work. CHOICE is saddened by his untimely death and our thoughts are with his family in this very difficult time.