Marjorie Scardino, 65, “has decided to step down” as chief executive of Pearson at the end of the year. Current head of their international education division John Fallon, 50, will take over on January 1, 2013. The company notes his “division is fundamental to Pearson’s growth strategy,” having grown to £1.4 billion in sales and employing 15,000 people in 70 countries. As education has come to dominate Pearson–and produce solid growth–analysts and investor have often lobbied for the sale of the FT Group and Penguin. Scardino had vowed not to sell the FT, but with the change at top, Ian […]
Personnel
People, Awards, Etc.
Editorial director of Bloomsbury Children’s UK Emma Matthewson will join Hot Key Books at a date “to be confirmed” as editor-at-large for their recently launched fiction line for 9- to 19 year-olds. Matthewson has been at Bloomsbury for the 15 years; the move reunites her with Sarah Odedina, who was publishing director of Bloomsbury Children’s before moving to Bonnier to start up Hot Key Books. At Basic Books, TJ Kelleher has been promoted to senior executive editor, Tisse Takagi and Alex Littlefield move up to editor, and Katy O’Donnell has been promoted to assistant editor. Bloomsbury cfo Robert Marsh, who came to the […]
People, Etc.: Remembering Wendy Weil
Wendy Weil, 72, died September 22 at her country home in West Cornwall, CT. Her career as an agent spanned more than 40 years and she was president of the Wendy Weil Literary Agency, which she founded in 1987, counting Rita Mae Brown, Andrea Barrett, Mark Helprin, Alice Walker, Anthony Doerr, Phillip Lopate, and Amity Gaige among the agency’s clients. Donations in her name may be made to Teachers & Writers Collaborative. Plans for a memorial service will be announced in early fall. Emily Forland and Emma Patterson and long-time office manager Ann Torrago remain at the agency and plan […]
People
Mark Krotov will join The Overlook Press as associate editor on October 1. Previously he was an assistant editor at FSG. Nebraska Book Company has hired Bill Zeuch as svp of merchandising and marketing, effective October 3. He is the former svp of merchandising, marketing and sales new channels at Office Max, where he worked for 8 years. Phyllis Bruce is resigning from HarperCollins Canada after more than 20 years with the company, most recently as publisher of Phyllis Bruce Books, to “explore new opportunities.” Her last day is October 4. “It’s completely her decision, and we’re sad that she’s […]
People, Etc.
Kelly Gallagher will join Ingram on October 8 as vp, content acquisitions, reporting to chief content officer Phil Ollila. Gallagher was most recently vp, publishing services at Bowker, and in his new role will lead Ingram’s selling and business development activities for print-on-demand and digital distribution products, based in New York. In addition, Pep Carrera has been named chief information officer at Ingram, reporting to coo Shawn Morris. Carrera was previously chief technology officer at RAPP. Gemma Cooper has joined The Bent Agency, representing children’s and young adult fiction, based on London but taking on clients from both the UK […]
People, Etc.
At ICM Partners, Kristyn Keene and Kari Stuart have both been promoted to agent. Keene joined the agency in 2006; Stuart has been with ICM for seven years. Alistair Burtenshaw, who left his positions at Reed Exhibitions earlier this month, will move up to chair of charity Booktrust (where he has served as deputy chair since 2008). The Smoking Gun highlights multiple lawsuits filed recently by Penguin to recover advances from authors who the publisher says never delivered their manuscripts. The suits look to recover advances and interest from: New Yorker staff writer Rebecca Mead $20,000, for a 2003 deal […]