 |
|
| Carolan Workman | |
With the sale of Workman Publishing to Hachette Book Group on September 23, Carolan Workman, executive chair and president of Workman Publishing, has retired.
Most of her professional life was spent at Workman Publishing, which she joined almost 50 years ago, to work with her husband, Peter Workman, who founded the publisher in 1968. As the company recounted, "Having two young daughters, she wanted to start slowly at the company, working part time and focusing on one discrete area of the business that she could do on her own. And so, she took Workman international, attending her first Frankfurt Book Fair in 1977, where she sat, alone, at a little folding table with 10 books behind her on a shelf, and where she knew no one and no one had ever heard of Workman.
"Under Carolan's leadership, Workman International grew and grew. Today it accounts for 14% of the company's revenue, with 4,000 translated editions in languages from Albanian to Vietnamese, co-editions throughout the world, and Workman's own English language editions sold everywhere from Australia to Estonia to Qatar to the West Indies. However, Carolan counts as her singularly greatest achievement the sale of French rights to The Silver Palate Cookbook--the first American cookbook ever to be translated into French. (It flopped, alas.)
"As a corporate officer, she also took part in many other aspects of the business, including directing the company's charitable initiatives and working on special projects, as well as involvement in day-to-day corporate life. In 2013, after the death of Peter Workman, she stepped into the role of executive chair and president, presiding over the company and its long-term strategy and hiring its senior v-p and publisher, Dan Reynolds. When the pandemic came, she played an especially critical part in helping the company meet the challenge of working in the virtual office while still retaining its morale and energy."
Carolan Workman commented: "Workman Publishing was the greatest gift I could ever wish for. It fit me perfectly, never went out of style, lasted forever, and was something that I used and loved and treasured every day. It has never failed to make me happy and proud. Although I will miss it profoundly, I'm confident that Dan Reynolds, Workman's senior v-p and publisher, and Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette Book Group, will be brilliant custodians of Workman's uniqueness and culture--and increasing success."
Reynolds added: "Carolan was the heart and soul of Workman. She knew every employee and their stories, planned every event, schmoozed with all the reps, authors, and buyers, weighed in on acquisitions and publishing decisions--what felt like Workman and what didn't. There are signs throughout our offices helping visitors and new hires find their way to various departments. Carolan had a sign pointing to her office. It just said 'Carolan'--because it didn't need to say anything else. She may be retired, but for us to stay valuable and relevant and growing in our new role as part of Hachette, we will need to keep the spirit of Carolan with us."