Frankfurt Book Fair: Penguin Adopts New Global Management Approach

By Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 10/14/2009 10:00:00 AM

To ensure that it is properly positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities in digital and emerging markets, Penguin Group has made some changes to its global management structure and publishing strategy. The new alignment puts the CEOs of four of Penguin’s major subsidiaries in charge of different regions to help promote what Penguin chairman John Makinson calls a local market focus combined with a global publishing approach.

Under the reorganization, David Davidar, president of Penguin Canada, is taking on the additional responsibility as CEO of a new division, Penguin International. The appointment puts him in charge of Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian sub-continent. Before joining Penguin Canada, Davidar founded Penguin’s Indian subsidiary. Penguin Australia CEO Gabrielle Coyne will take on an additional regional role for Asia Pacific, working with Eddy Teo in Penguin’s Singapore office to develop a strategy for South-East Asia and with Jo Lusby, head of the Beijing office, to grow Penguin’s presence in Japan and South Korea.

Penguin UK chief Peter Field will oversee growth opportunities for all of Europe and the former Soviet Union, while Penguin USA CEO David Shanks will look for growth in Central and South America. Makinson said he will work with the four CEOs and the regional directors to frame plans for each market.

To help achieve his objective of combining a local focus with a more global publishing approach, Makinson said that while Penguin will still be buying copyright territory by territory for most books, “there are several distinct categories which will reward a more international approach,” starting with classics and business books. Stefan McGrath, who is responsible for Penguin’s U.K. classic program, was put in charge of developing a worldwide classics platform that can compete with the increasingly global and digital nature of classics publishing. Portfolio publisher Adrian Zackheim has been put in charge of an initiative to make Penguin’s business book publishing program more distinctive and global in reach.
Finally, Makinson has appointed John Schline, senior v-p and corporate director of business affairs at Penguin USA, to work on updating Penguin’s contracts to account for changes being brought to the management of both physical and digital copyright around the world.

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