NEWS

Brad Martin To Retire as CEO of Penguin Random House Canada

Dear Colleagues,

Today, BRAD MARTIN is announcing that he will retire as CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, effective June 30, 2018, the culmination of a career of unparalleled accomplishment with our company and in Canadian trade publishing.

From his earliest days in book publishing, Brad demonstrated and became widely recognized and respected for his keen instinct for sales and marketing, and especially, a passion for books and publishing. His support and commitment to Canadian literature has helped to create the largest community of publishing imprints and programs in Canada, characterized by an impressive record of award recognition and bestsellers.

Brad began his publishing career in 1981 as a sales representative at McClelland & Stewart selling iconic Canadian authors including Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, and Peter C. Newman. He moved to Penguin Books Canada in 1984, and was named President in 1996. In March of 1998—on the very day of the announcement of the merger of Bantam Doubleday Dell (BDD) and Random House—he joined BDD Canada. Brad rose to become CEO of Random House of Canada in 2007. In July 2013, Brad was appointed CEO of our newly formed Penguin Random House Canada—which made Brad’s professional life come full circle by bringing McClelland & Stewart, Penguin, and Random House together under one roof.

As a leader, Brad has built an excellent team, and has overseen the successful integration of Random House and Penguin, including the complex and culturally important move from multiple offices in Toronto to one, while keeping the company focused on driving the business forward. He has guided our Canadian division through digital transformation, including overseeing and encouraging the creation of Hazlitt, our award-winning online magazine, along with the ongoing development of an industry-leading sales and marketing team, and the introduction of a Canadian digital audiobook program in 2017.

Brad’s hands-on approach and deep understanding of the business has helped to ensure that our Canadian operation has delivered multiple years of record performance, and under his direction, Penguin Random House Canada also leads the industry in cultural and philanthropic initiatives. Brad himself is on the Board of the Writers’ Trust of Canada and of Ludia, Inc., a Fremantle company based in Montreal, and has served three terms as President of the Canadian Publishers’ Council. He has also been a highly effective ambassador with the Canadian government, consistently demonstrating our commitment to Canadian authors and culture. A great testament and legacy of that commitment has been the integration of the cultural heritage and creative treasure of McClelland & Stewart into our community of publishing houses in Canada.

During the ten years Brad and I have closely worked together, I have admired his commitment to the advancement of our company, his appreciation and support for his team, and most of all, his dedication to this business we all love. Penguin Random House is today stronger than ever because of him.

I know you all join me in celebrating Brad’s exceptional 37-year-career at McClelland & Stewart, Penguin, Bantam Doubleday Dell, Random House and Penguin Random House. From me personally—and on behalf of all of us at Penguin Random House—I want to express my sincere appreciation to Brad for his lifetime of contributions spanning one of the longest and most successful careers in publishing worldwide.

Thank you, Brad!

Yours,

Markus Dohle
Chief Executive Officer
Penguin Random House