 |
|
| Reagan Arthur | |
Reagan Arthur, senior v-p and publisher of Little, Brown, is leaving to become executive v-p, publisher, of Knopf, Patheon and Schocken at Penguin Random House, effective February 11. In other major related changes, Maya Mavjee is returning to PRH from Macmillan to become president and publisher of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and Jordan Pavlin is being promoted to senior v-p, editorial director, Alfred A. Knopf.
The appointments follow the death December 30 of Sonny Mehta, who was editor-in-chief of Knopf and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. He was only the third person to head Knopf after founder Alfred A. Knopf and Robert Gottlieb.
Reagan Arthur joined Little, Brown in 2001 as senior editor, founded the Reagan Arthur Books imprint in 2010 and was promoted to her current position in 2013. She earlier worked at St. Martin's Press. Her last day at Little, Brown is January 31.
In an announcement to staff about the changes, Penguin Random House U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh said that in the months before his death, "Sonny and I began to talk in earnest about the future" and he "identified Reagan Arthur as his first choice for this role, and they were able to meet and talk about the opportunity in the fall."
McIntosh said that "the range and breadth of Reagan's editorial expertise and her leadership qualities are core to what make her the ideal choice for this role. Her writers think the world of her, as do her colleagues. She has a proven track record and a reputation that means her recommendations are trusted by sales reps and booksellers alike. I have envied from afar her accomplishments as a publisher while treasuring her books as a reader and enjoying getting to know her over the years as a person. I was so looking forward to having Sonny introduce her to you, but I know you'll help me provide her with the very warmest welcome in his place."
In an e-mail "I wish I didn't have to write," Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch also praised Arthur, saying that "as an editor and a publisher, Reagan has embodied the best of book publishing. She has superb taste, works brilliantly with writers of every kind, and leads the charge in bringing enthusiasm and attention to our authors and their work. She has brought equal passion to publishing mega-stars like Tina Fey and new writers who had no audience until Reagan helped them find one...
"Reagan's work ethic is exceptional and her team at Little, Brown and colleagues throughout HBG know what an empathetic, inspiring leader she is. I have loved working with her mightily. We will all miss her enormously."
McIntosh called Pavlin "one of the most gifted editors in trade publishing. The list of award-winning books and bestselling authors she has published is extraordinary. She has an uncanny eye and a transcendent belief in the work of her authors... Jordan also steps into this role with 23 years of wisdom gleaned from working alongside Sonny."
She called the leadership team of Reagan Arthur, Jordan Pavlin and executive v-p, deputy publisher Paul Bogaards "formidable... As a reader and a colleague, I'm so very excited for the ways they will build on the Knopf commitment to new voices, to diverse voices, to works in translation, to books literary and commercial--all while adhering to the highest standards in all aspects of the publishing process, to keeping authors at the center of the imprint culture, and to nurturing in-house talent."
Maya Mavjee will return to PRH, effective March 2. For the past year, she's been president, publishing strategy, at Macmillan. From 2010 to 2018, she was president and publisher of the Crown Publishing Group and left the company when Crown was merged with Random House.
McIntosh commented: "Throughout her career, Maya has published authors and books across a broad range of categories and programs, including spectacular bestsellers and award winners in fiction, biography, memoir, politics, history, leadership, and lifestyle. She has forged and maintained impeccable and strong relationships with authors, agents and publishers here and abroad, and has shown a natural ability to support the creative process and the needs of the business at the same time. These qualities have made her beloved as a leader, a colleague and a publisher, and I believe make her ideally suited for this role."
In another related change, Tony Chirico, who has been president, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, will move to report to McIntosh "in a corporate capacity on an interim basis," she wrote. "He will be working with Maya to transfer his deep knowledge and expertise based on his three decades working with these lists, and he will be working with me on initiatives related to the company as a whole."