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Sargent To Run Reorganized Global Holtzbrinck Trade Group; Sherer to Leave Basic for UNC Press as Heimert, Weinberg Move Up

June 15, 2012
By Michael Cader

Starting July 2, Holtzbrinck’s book publishing units will be restructured into three global divisions that will separate trade books and science and education publishing into different groups. Current Macmillan US president and ceo John Sargent will take over management of the global trade group, encompassing all the consumer book publishing operations in the US, Germany (Droemer Knaur; Rowohlt; and S. Fischer), the UK (Pan Macmillan) and Australia (Pan Macmillan Australia). The trade chief executives for those international divisions, including UK md Anthony Forbes-Watson, will report to Sargent.

Macmillan UK ceo Annette Thomas will now lead the global science and education division, which includes Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Education, Macmillan Higher Education and Palgrave Macmillan, Digital Science, Digital Education and Macmillan New Ventures. (The third unit, Holtzbrinck Media, will comprise newspapers magazines–mostly German–and digital media.)

Holtzbrinck chairman Stefan von Holtzbrinck said in a statement that “the science, education and consumer publishing markets are experiencing significant changes, offering us many new opportunities. The reorganization will allow us to take even more advantage of the converging forces of digitization and globalization by providing us with increased focus and flexibility. There will be more opportunities for cooperation in exciting projects around the globe.”

Basic Books publisher for the past five years John Sherer is leaving as of July 13 to become director of the University of North Carolina Press, which “brings him back to his North Carolina roots and family.” Editorial and publishing director at Basic Lara Heimert has been promoted to publisher of Basic Books. Public Affairs publisher Susan Weinberg has been promoted to the new position of group publisher for Basic Books, Public Affairs, and Nation Books, with Public Affairs editorial director Clive Priddle moving up to publisher. Westview Press publisher Cathleen Tetro, who had reported to Sherer, will now report to Avalon publisher Bill Newlin.

At UNC, Sherer is taking over from Kate Douglas Torrey, who retires on June 30 after 23 years at the publishing house. She has been director since 1992. Sherer graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and began his publishing career the press as an assistant sales manager.

In other personnel news, Tracy Sherrod has been named senior editor at Harlequin’s Kimani imprint. She was previously founder and president of Tracy Sherrod Literary Services.

John Gall will join Abrams as creative director for their adult list on June 25, reporting to associate publisher Deborah Aaronson. He was previously with the Knopf publishing group, where he was vp and art director for Vintage/Anchor Books for 15 years.

Filed Under: Free, Personnel

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