Perminder Mann appointed President of the Publishers Association
Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier Books UK, has been appointed President of the Publishers Association. Perminder succeeds Antonia Seymour, Chief Executive of IOP Publishing, who remains an Officer of the Publishers Association.
The Presidency transferred at the Publishers Association’s Annual General Meeting, which was held this afternoon (Wednesday 8 May, 2024) at the British Library.
Mandy Hill, Managing Director of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, was appointed to the position of Publishers Association Vice-President and Treasurer. This means, for the first time, that all three Publishers Association Officers are women.
Perminder Mann said:
“I feel truly honoured to step into the role of President of the Publishers Association. Working with Dan Conway, the brilliant team at the PA, and our inspiring officers, I intend to use this incredible opportunity to amplify and expand upon the outstanding efforts already underway in our sector to enhance accessibility, increase literacy, and broaden social mobility. I firmly believe that investing in literacy is an investment in our collective future.”
Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, said:
“Perminder will bring leadership and vision to her role as President of the Publishers Association. She has been a supporter of our work for many years and I look forward to working even more closely with her over the next 12 months. I know she has some brilliant priorities that we’re very excited to support.”
Perminder’s inaugural speech was followed by an address from Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, who reflected on what he has discovered during his tenure and how children’s access to books and reading can be supported.
In addition, the following appointments to the Publishers Association’s Council were announced:
- Sanjee de Silva, Publisher at Sweet Cherry Publishing
- Nick Fowler, Chief Academic Officer at Elsevier
- Sharon Hague, Managing Director of School Assessment and Qualifications at Pearson
- Lisa Mahan, Chief Marketing Officer at Taylor & Francis
- Hilary Murray Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Hachette Children’s Group
- Karen Phillips, Executive Vice President, Learning & UK Executive Lead at Sage (who takes up a role as the Publishers Association’s representative on the International Publishers Association board)
- Nigel Portwood, Chief Executive of Oxford University Press