People Round Up, Early April, 2025

PEOPLE

Penguin Random House: Mallory Loehr will become president of Random House Children’s Books on May 1, reporting to CEO Nihar Malaviya. Loehr will also join the PRH US Leadership Team. Loehr, who is currently SVP, Publisher of the division, succeeds Barbara Marcus, who will step down after 13 years as president and publisher. 

 

Kate Medina, EVP, associate publisher, and executive editorial director of Random House will retire at the end of June. She joined the imprint in 1985 after starting her career as an editorial assistant at Doubleday.  

 

Laura Barker, VP and publisher of Penguin Random House Christian, will step down on April 15 after 22 years with the company. Editorial director Madison Trammel, executive editor Sarah Rubio, Ink & Willow VP, executive editor Susan Tjaden, and manager, publishing operations Bridget Baxter will report to PRH Christian SVP, publisher Campbell Wharton.

 

Casey Neumann has joined Penguin Random House as senior managing editor. Most recently, he was at What on Earth Publishing. Meg Conover has joined as senior editor, licensed publishing. Most recently she was director, licensing and content at Sesame Workshop. At Crown, Peter Joseph will join as VP, editorial director, fiction, reporting to Amy Einhorn, SVP & publisher, fiction and starting April 22. He was most recently the founding editorial director of Hanover Square Press.

 

At Hachette Book Group, Agustina Casal joined as VP of online and digital sales. She  was previously at Ingram. Sales VP Rich Tullis will be retiring after more than 30 years with the company. He will stay on through April.

 

Simon & Schuster, Claire Gamble has joined as a national account manager selling to Amazon. She was previously part of the digital & online sales team at Hachette.

 

At Macmillan, Katharina Gadow has joined as national account manager. Allison Gervais has joined the production team as associate director, custom publications. Ryan Munson recently joined as SVP, finance operations. Andrew Jacobs has joined as associate general counsel. Christine Marra has joined as associate director, production editorial. 

 

Yale University Press announced that Niko Pfund will become director on July 1, succeeding John Donatich, who is retiring after 22 years at the press. Pfund is currently global academic publisher and president of the US division of Oxford University Press, where he has worked for the past two decades.

 

ScholasticOlivia Lusk has joined as publicist. She was previously at Page Street

 

At Entangled, Sarah Guan has joined as editorial director of Red Tower. Guan was formerly publisher at Erewhon Books. Erin Lowrey has joined as experiential marketing director. She was previously events experiential lead at Apple.

 

Nosy Crow announced that Katie Cunningham has joined as publisher, reporting to president John Mendelson. She was most recently senior VP, editorial and associate publisher at Candlewick Press until stepping away in late 2024.

 

At Norton Young Readers, Sarah Alpert joins as senior editor reporting to publisher Simon Boughton. She was formerly editor at Algonquin Books for Young Readers.

 

Bloomsbury PLC: Heather Rabbatts will join the board on April 14 as a non-executive director. She will serve on the audit, remuneration and nominating committees.

 

At HarperCollins Christian division, Zondervan Books, Rachel Shaver joins as VP of marketing. Most recently, she worked at City On A Hill Productions and Lifeway Christian Resources.

 

Abrams announced that Hanna Day-Tenerowicz has joined as senior designer, adult design. Jason Orlando joins as director of backlist and e-commerce. He was previously director of brand & digital shelf management at Acosta Group

 

At Sourcebooks, Eliana Torres has joined as corporate attorney. Annabelle Harsch has joined as associate production editor. Mary Wheelehan has joined as associate production editor. Aubrey Clemans has joined as publicist for Sourcebook’s Landmark. Laurel Stokes has joined as strategic project manager.  Catie Gilhooly has joined as associate production editor. Amanda German has joined as manager, gift sales. Emma Matuska has joined as legal/corporate associate.

 

Chronicle Books has named Brittany McInerney as publishing director for the Chronicle Books Art & Entertainment group.

 

Center for Fiction elected two new members to its Board of Directors: Jacquelynn Kerubo Osoro and Simon & Schuster senior editor Yahdon Israel.

 

New World Library, editorial director Georgia Hughes is retiring after 26 years. Jason Gardner will succeed her as editorial director. Noelle Armstrong has joined as acquisitions editor and will report to Gardner.

 

Globe Pequot acquired Waterford Press from its co-founder, Jill Kavanaugh on April 1. Additionally, the company’s sales and distribution will transfer from NBN to Simon & Schuster effective September 1.

 

Ingram Content Group: Jacqueline Sells joins as VP of sales and business development, international, leading Ingram’s Lighting Source business for all markets outside of North America. She was previously sales director at DK UK. Sells succeeds David Taylor who has held the role since 2003 and is retiring in June.

 

BOOM! Studios, Andy Schmidt will join as editor-in-chief, starting April 7. He was most recently director of IP development and brand design at Hasbro. Lily Kessinger has joined as editor. She was previously at Clarion Books. Olivia Dontsov has joined as managing editor. She was most recently at Astra Publishing House.

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In Agency News…

Eric Smith has launched a new agency, Neighborhood Literary. Rebecca Podos, previously at Rees Literary, joins as senior agent. Donovan Levin joins as associate agent.

 

At Rights Factory, Jes Trudel has been promoted to associate agent. Kate Moody has been promoted to assistant agent.

 

Westwood Creative Artists: Geffen Semach joins as literary agent, representing both fiction and nonfiction. She was previously the publishing coordinator for audiobooks at Penguin Random House Canada.

 

Assembled Media: Greg Ferguson has joined as VP, executive editor of literary IP. He was previously SVP, head of publishing at 3BlackDot and editorial director at Full Fathom Five

 

Franklin & Siegal Associates has been appointed US scout for business and self-help publisher Reverté Mangement/REM in the Spanish language.

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PROMOTIONS

Penguin Random House: at Portfolio/Thesis/Sentine, Megan McCormack has been promoted to editor. Megan Wenerstrom has been promoted to associate editor.  Anu Roy-Chaudhury joins as associate editor. She was previously at Public Affairs. Stefanie Brody has been promoted to executive publicist. Heather Faulls has been promoted to senior marketing manager. At Random House Children’s, Cindy Johnson has been promoted to executive managing editor. Emily Hoffman has been promoted to managing editor. Kari Webb has been promoted to associate managing editor.  At Penguin Press, Lauren Lauzon has been promoted to assistant director of marketing. At Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Mark Abrams is promoted to art director, Vintage Books. Ariel Harari is promoted to designer.

Hachette Books Group, Juliana Nador has been promoted to assistant editor for Union Square & Co..

 

Disney PublishingJennifer Levesque has been promoted to deputy publisher. Adam Wilson has been promoted to editorial director, Hyperion Avenue. Rachel Stark has been promoted to senior editor. Olivia Zavitson and Elias Kotsis have been promoted to assistant editor. Monique Diman-Riley has been promoted to VP, sales & retail strategy.

 

At Macmillan Publishers, the following were promoted at Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group,Mary Van Akin has been promoted executive director of school & library marketing. Lauren Wengrovitz has been promoted to marketing manager. Jacob Sammon has been promoted to assistant managing editor. Sarah Gompper has been promoted to senior production editor. Hayley O’Brion has been promoted to associate managing editor. Kelly Markus has been promoted to associate, production editorial. Ebony Lane has been promoted to associate director, subsidiary rights.Emilia Sowersby has been promoted to associate editor at Roaring Brook Press. Kate Meltzer has been promoted to executive editor at Roaring Brook Press.  Molly Ellis has been promoted to SVP of  publicity. Carina Licon has been promoted to associate editor at Holt Children’s. Julia Bianchi, Abby Granata, and Meg Sayre have been promoted to associate designer. Naomi Silverio has been promoted to designer.  At Celadon, Ryan Doherty has been named VP, editor in chief. Christine Mykityshyn has been named executive director of publicity. 

 

 At Holt, Catryn Silbersack has been promoted to publicity manager. At St Martin’s Publishing Group, Michael Storrings has been promoted to SVP, executive creative director. Lauren Riebs has been promoted to associate managing editor. Meghan Harrington has been promoted to senior publicity manager. Kelly South has been promoted to associate publicist. Lance Ehlers has been promoted to senior designer. Marissa Sangiacomo has been promoted to director, marketing & advanced reader engagement. Amelia Beckerman has been promoted to manager, marketing. Kejana Ayala has been promoted to associate manager, marketing. Althea Mignone has been promoted to associate, marketing. Kelly Stone has been promoted to associate editor. Samantha Havela has been promoted to domestic rights associate. At Tor Publishing Group, Alexis Saarela has been promoted to director of publicity. Laura Etzkorn has been promoted to publicity manager. Libby Collins has been promoted to publicity manager. Mal Frazier has been promoted to assistant editor. Stephanie Sirabian has been promoted to director of advertising and promotion. Megan Barnard has been promoted to creative director, advertising and promotion. Amy Sefton has been promoted to manager, design. Valeria Castorena has been promoted to marketing associate.  At FSG, Milo Walls has been promoted to editor. Sophie Albanis has been promoted to production editor. Caitlin Cataffo has been promoted to marketing manager. Sarah Haeckel has been promoted to senior publicist, Picador

 

HarperCollins: Mike Bzozowski has been promoted to assistant general counsel. Alexa Frank has been promoted to editor at HarperVia.

 

The Globe Pequot Publishing Group has promoted its longtime chief operating officer, Bob Marsh, to president.

 

Sourcebooks: Keri Haddrill has been promoted to associate national account manager.

 

At Chronicle Books, Claire Gilhuly has been promoted to editor, food & lifestyle. Sara Stemen has been promoted senior managing editor, Princeton Architectural Press. Maddy Wong has been promoted to editor, art & entertainment. Ailyn Pambid has been promoted to marketing coordinator. Tracey Vega has been promoted to associate director of sales, mass market. Zora Driscoll has been promoted to associate manager, subrights. Kathryn Libertini has been promoted to sales coordinator, key accounts. Sophia Fox has been promoted to sales coordinator, independent specialty. Angela Maclean has joined as senior manager, distribution clients. Eve Brodsly has been promoted to sales & marketing enablement project manager. Jocelyn Shratter has been promoted to sales & marketing enablement coordinator. Rachel Gelenius has been promoted to senior studio coordinator. Serena Nguyen has been promoted to contracts and permissions coordinator.

 

Page Street Publishing has promoted Jane Horowitz to associate director of publicity and marketing for kids and YA.

 

Independent Publishers Group: Brad Fish has been promoted to library & education sales manager. Travis Hale has been promoted to field sales manager. Mai Yang has been promoted to associate staff accountant. Julianne Ziegenhorn has been promoted to digital production coordinator. Natalie Fry has been promoted to senior operations specialist. Stefani Szenda has been promoted to marketing manager. Shantel Butler has been promoted to customer service coordinator. Ashley Santucci has been promoted to operations coordinator.

 

At Entangled, Molly Majumder has been promoted to distribution and production manager, all imprints.

 

At Oxford University Press, Gabriel Kachuck has been promoted to acquisition editor, politics.

 

At Bloomsbury, Kei Nakatsuka has been promoted to associate editor at Bloomsbury Children’s. Hannah Bowe has been promoted to production editor.

 

Abrams, Denise LaCongo has been promoted to director, production. Larry Pakarek has been promoted to senior manager, production. Erin Vanderveer has been promoted to director, production, Abrams Children’s.

 

Holiday House and Peachtree: Melanie McMahon Ives has been promoted to production director.  At Neal Porter Books, Tova Seltzer has been promoted to assistant editor.

 

New World Library  has promoted Kim Corbin to publicity director.

 

Dreamscape Media has promoted Kassara Meek to senior manager, acquisitions and Stepha Poulin to editorial associate.

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DULY NOTED

The Aspen Literary Festival has announced its inaugural three-day headliners including: Elin Hilderbrand, Michael Lewis, Kevin Kwan, Leigh Bardugo, Bonnie Garmus, V.E. Schwab, Jasmine Guillory, Nathan Hill, and Victor LaValle. The festival will be presented by Book of the Month on September 26-28, 2025.

 

Dominique Raccah has been named the recipient of Book Industry Study Group’s Sally Dedeck Award for Lifetime Service. The award will be presented at BISG’s annual meeting on April 25

 

Emma Lowe will become director of the London Book Fair, starting in July. Lowe was most recently head of events at Harper UK. She succeeds Adam Ridgway, who is retiring. Previous LBF director Gareth Rapley, now interim portfolio director, will oversee the Fair until July.

 

Virginia Norey, 68, who worked in publishing for 40 years, most recently as associate director of art & design at Random House, died on March 28. Her career began at Penguin Books in 1997, and she eventually moved to Bantam Dell.

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EVENTS

Apr 9-13th

Quebec International Book Fair

Quebec City, CAN

Apr 17-20th

Unbound Book Festival

Columbia, MO

Apr 22nd-24th

Prince George’s Festival of Literary Arts

Upper Marlboro, MD

Apr 24- May 12th

Buenos Aires Book Fair

Buenos Aires, ARG

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