Hachette Book Group has filled the open chief operating officer slot with the hiring of Kenneth Michaels, who joins the company on January 5. He was most recently svp of global business process management for the McGraw-Hill Companies. CEO David Young notes, “he consistently achieved impressive results across many areas of the business including IT infrastructure and strategy, new business development, distribution initiatives, operations, inventory, and leadership development.” He will “focus on finding opportunities for greater efficiency throughout the areas of our business that will report to him: distribution, facilities, fulfillment, IT, managing editorial, production, and strategic publishing operations.”
Harper Children’s has hired Corinne Helman for the new position of vp of digital publishing and business development, starting December 1 and reporting to Susan Katz. Helman will be responsible for “developing online revenue strategies and a range of new digital opportunities that encompass product development, marketing and sales for current successful projects and newly-created, wholly-owned intellectual property” and “will recommend partnerships and investment opportunities.” Most recently, she was vp of business development for Scholastic Trade.
At Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Johanna Vondeling was promoted to vp, editorial and digital; David Marshall was promoted to director for digital communities; and Jeevan Sivasubramaniam was promoted to executive managing editor.
At Free Press, Leah Miller has been promoted to assistant editor. She has been the assistant to editor-in-chief Dominick Anfuso and Emily Loose.
Beginning in December, the University of Arkansas Press will distribute Moon City Press. An imprint of the Missouri State University departments of English and art and Design, the press focuses on arts and letters and Ozarks history and culture.
Former members of the events staff at the now-closed Olsson’s bookstores in Washington, DC have formed “a specialty company that sells books at events in the Washington DC metropolitan area.” Operating as Offsite Books, it is, according to their site, “staffed with experienced, dedicated booksellers, offers professional, reliable service, and can quickly respond to last-minute events.” Shelf Awareness says the company is led by former Olsson’s marketing director and events coordinator Alicia Greene and former cfo Terence McCann.