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| Jonathan Karp | |
Jonathan Karp has been named president and CEO of Simon & Schuster, succeeding Carolyn Reidy, who died suddenly on May 12.
Karp, who has been president and publisher of S&S Adult Publishing, said in a letter to staff yesterday that he is honored by the appointment and that despite the challenges of the past four months--"a pandemic, a prospective sale, and the loss of our extraordinary leader, Carolyn Reidy"--he can't imagine "a more exciting opportunity than to lead Simon & Schuster, known equally as a home to beloved authors and for its long history of innovation and excellence in publishing. I am grateful to Bob Bakish [CEO of ViacomCBS, which owns S&S] for his faith in me, and to all of you for your spirit of cooperation and support through the years.
"Our mission remains the same: to publish the most satisfying books we can find, with passion and purpose and profitability. What has changed are the times into which we will be discovering and publishing these books. As we search for meaning in the chaos and joy amid the sadness, the books we champion will serve as a beacon and a balm."
Karp called this is "an especially crucial time to be publishing books, when so many readers are looking for direction and inspiration. Our authors and their books are an essential part of this cultural conversation. We will continue to do all we can to make sure their voices are heard.... Our slate of books for the rest of 2020 is one of our strongest in years, and I can't wait to hear the conversations these books generate."
Karp paid tribute to the late Carolyn Reidy, saying, "Over the past 10 years, Carolyn Reidy has shown me how an executive communicates and leads--candidly, firmly, warmly, attentively, and generously. I owe Carolyn a debt I will never be able to repay to her, but I will do everything I can to pay it forward by sustaining her standards and humanity through my work with you. We will maintain our culture of straightforward and creative collaboration, in which anyone from every corner of our organization can suggest any idea. Together, we will honor and uphold our nearly hundred-year tradition of innovation and excellence, with laughter and learning along the way."
Karp joined S&S as publisher of Simon & Schuster in 2010. Earlier he founded the Twelve imprint at Hachette Book Group and before that worked for 16 years at Random House, where he began as an editorial assistant and eventually became editor-in-chief.