Antonia Seymour, CEO of IOP Publishing, has been elected to the position of President of the Publishers Association. Antonia succeeds Nigel Newton, CEO and Founder of Bloomsbury, who remains an Officer of the Publishers Association.
The Presidency transferred at the Publishers Association’s Annual General Meeting, which was held yesterday at the Science Gallery London (Tuesday, 25th April 2023).
Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier Books UK, has been elected to the position of Publishers Association Vice-President and Treasurer.
Antonia Seymour, CEO of IOP Publishing said: “I am excited and honoured to be taking up the role of President of the Publishers Association at a time when the publishing industry is enjoying record breaking growth. Publishers matter and my priority is to showcase the value of publishing and to promote the publishing sector as a great place to work.“
In her inaugural speech as President, Antonia highlighted three key messages:
- “Publishers matter – we all know the work we do has purpose, that’s a big part of why we went into publishing in the first place, but let’s make sure everyone else knows that. As an example, if the UK government wants to be a science superpower then we need to make them aware there’s a thriving UK publishing industry they can look to help them achieve that.”
- “We need an industry value proposition that excites people from all walks of life to want to work in publishing. Let’s set out our stall and make it clear we’re an industry open to everyone.”
- “Under the auspices of the PA, the UK publishing community can speak with a single voice on these issues that matter to all of us – large/small, academic, education and consumer – giving us the very best chance of being heard by government, and other key parties, and helping ensure our rightful place as an indispensable partner in the knowledge economy.”
You can read Antonia’s full speech here.
Chief Executive of the Publishers Association, Dan Conway said: “I can’t wait to begin working with Antonia in her new role as President of the Publishers Association. Having already served as Vice-President and a PA Officer, she knows our organisation back-to-front and I know will lead with purpose and with a genuine passion for the value that publishing brings.”
Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier Books UK said: “I’m delighted to become a PA Officer at the Publishers Association as Vice President and Treasurer, to champion the contributions of this sector and advocate on behalf of all its people. I am excited to work ever more closely with my colleagues to further highlight the importance of this remarkable industry, the tireless work and innovation of our members, and its invaluable impact on the culture and economy of our country.“
In addition, the following elections to the Publishers Association’s Council were announced:
- Stephen Page, Faber & Faber
- Rebecca Sinclair, Penguin Random House
- Steven Inchcoombe, Springer Nature
- Kate Elton, HarperCollins
- Kathryn Sharples, Wiley
- Joanna Prior, Pan Macmillan
