Nihar Malaviya Interim CEO of Penguin Random House, President & Chief Operating Officer of Penguin Random House U.S.

Nihar Malaviya was appointed Interim CEO of Penguin Random House starting January 1, 2023, and reporting to Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe. Nihar is a member the Bertelsmann’s Group Management Committee (GMC), as well as the Penguin Random House Global Executive Committee.

 

As Interim CEO of Penguin Random House, Nihar leads the creation of new competitive advantages that position the global company for future growth. In his capacity as President & COO of PRH U.S., which he took on in 2019, Nihar has responsibility for all publishing operations in the U.S. from supply chain to technology & data and client services.

 

Nihar began his career at Bertelsmann in 2011 as a participant in the Bertelsmann Entrepreneurs Program. In 2003, he moved within the group to Random House, successfully taking on a number of leadership positions resulting in his appointment as EVP and COO of PRH U.S. in 2014. Nihar spearheaded the creation of a variety of industry-first capabilities in data science, supply chain, technology, and consumer insights, and led the successful operations and systems integration of Penguin and  Random House—the largest-ever merger in trade book publishing.

 

Nihar is a two-time recipient of the Bertelsmann Entrepreneur Award for Strategy Execution and serves on the Bertelsmann Technology and Data Advisory Board. He holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the NYU Stern School of Business, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. Nihar is also a member of the board of Yale University Press. He resides in New Jersey with his wife and two children.

Julie Burland CEO, Penguin Random House Australia and New Zealand

Julie Burland is the CEO of Penguin Random House Australia and New Zealand. She was appointed to this position in 2015.

Prior to this, Julie was the Director of Business Development and the Children’s Division at Random House Australia, in charge of publishing, sales, marketing and publicity. She transformed the Children’s Division into a highly successful and profitable business, while publishing books to critical acclaim.

Julie also established Random House’s Business Development department in 2007, where her role included sales to non-traditional markets, as well as the development of the export business, a successful custom publishing program and an ebook sales program.

Upon joining Random House Australia in 2000, Julie worked in Sales, eventually leading the team in 2005. During this time, she achieved record sales for, among many, Dan Brown, Christopher Paolini and brands such as MasterChef.

Núria Cabutí CEO, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Núria Cabutí was appointed CEO in January 2010 of the Random House and Mondadori Spanish-language trade publishing joint venture –which was renamed Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial in November 2013, following Random House acquiring full ownership in late 2012 and the merger of Penguin and Random House July 1, 2013– after having served as Publisher and Editorial Director of its Children's and Paperback Divisions since 2003.

Núria sets the strategic direction and provides the publishing and organizational leadership for the company's operations in Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay. She has worked for Random House exclusively and continuously upon her receiving her MBA from IESE Business School in 1992, demonstrating a strong aptitude for the editorial, financial, marketing, bookselling, and media relations aspects of the book publishing business.

Under her publishing leadership, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial has strengthened its position as one of the world's leading Spanish-language trade book publishers.

Azia Cheng CEO, Penguin Random House North Asia

Azia Cheng (Yilin Cheng)  was appointed CEO of Penguin Random House North Asia in September 2017. Prior to this, Azia was the Head of Sales at Penguin Random House China, overseeing the sales of new and backlist titles published by Penguin Random House globally.

Azia started working for Penguin China as a Sales Representative in 2008 and was promoted to the Head of Sales in 2010. During this time, she developed special sales and customized publishing programs in the Chinese market, especially in children's books. Azia also established strong branding for Penguin Random House main series and characters such as Peppa Pig, Eric Carle, Peter Rabbit, and Spot. She's been instrumental in growing international export sales in the region.

Kristin Cochrane CEO, Penguin Random House Canada

Kristin Cochrane was appointed CEO of Penguin Random House Canada in May 2018. Previously, Kristin served as President and Publisher of Penguin Random House Canada, President and Publisher of Random House of Canada, Executive Publisher of the McClelland & Stewart/Doubleday Canada Publishing Group, and Publisher of the Doubleday Canada Publishing Group. She first joined the company in 2005 as Doubleday Canada’s Associate Publisher, coming from HarperCollins Canada, where she held various senior roles in sales and marketing.

 

For the last three years, Kristin has appeared as one of Toronto Life magazine’s ‘50 Most Influential People,’ and she was recently featured in Canada 150 Women, a book celebrating women across business and society. Under her leadership as Publisher, the company has been honored with three of the last four Scotiabank Giller Prize wins, the Man Booker Prize, and two of their authors—Alice Munro and Kazuo Ishiguro—have won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

 

Kristin has long served as an Adjunct Professor and an Advisory Board Member at Simon Fraser University’s Publishing Program. She graduated from Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario) with a BA in History.

Steve Connolly CEO, Penguin Random House South Africa Steve has over thirty years of publishing experience, beginning with Longman Group in 1986, in international sales. During that time he has managed publishing companies in Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina and England. In 2000 he moved from his position as President, Pearson Education Cono Sur (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay) to manage Struik Publishers in Cape Town. Then after four years as MD of New Holland Publishing in London he returned to South Africa in 2012 to manage Random House Struik, then led the merger with Penguin South Africa to create Penguin Random House South Africa, the largest trade publisher in the country. In his years in publishing, Steve has been tasked with business turnarounds and mergers in a number of different countries with very different cultures. Prior to working in publishing Steve was a university lecturer in South Africa, teaching African and Islamic history and has degrees from the University of Sussex and the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

Jim Johnston Chief Financial Officer, Penguin Random House

Jim Johnston was appointed Chief Financial Officer in September 2018.  In this dual global and U.S. role, Jim oversees the management and coordination of all fiscal planning, reporting, and analysis for Penguin Random House U.S. and provides financial leadership and support across all territories.  During his tenure, Jim has managed several initiatives dedicated to the continuous improvement of the systems that safeguard our company assets.

Jim joined Random House in 1990 and subsequently became a valuable member of the Knopf Publishing Group, where he served as Director, Business Operations.  In 2003, he was named Director of Worldwide Reporting and Planning.  During the merger of Penguin and Random House, Jim guided the successful integration of the budgeting process and financial consolidation of the newly formed company.

Previously, Jim worked at Scholastic for three years.  He holds a Finance degree from Pace University, and lives in Connecticut.

Paul Kelly CO-CEO, DK Global

Paul was appointed Co-CEO of DK in April 2022. Prior to this, Paul was Group CFO & Strategy Director; and President, DK US. He was responsible for the transformation of the North American operations into a successful and profitable business and has led the development of the group's industry-leading digital and data capabilities, creating a significant competitive advantage. Paul has also established new business units including DK Audio and DK Learning, growing the latter through developing education channels and M&A. 

Upon joining Penguin Random House in 2008, Paul held various positions, including Group Strategy & Commercial Director for UK and International, where he worked on a variety of projects covering content development, digital strategy and the operations integration of Penguin and Random House. He was also a member of the PRH UK Executive Board during his tenure there.

Paul graduated from The University of Manchester with a BSc in Management Science. He is a trustee of The Reading Agency, a UK national charity helping people to tackle life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading. He lives in London with his partner.

Joanne Mallia-Barsati VP, Global Talent Management, Penguin Random House

Joanne Mallia-Barsati was appointed Vice President, Global Talent Management in January 2019. In addition to overseeing the Learning and Organizational Development team in the U.S., she is responsible for continuing to advance Penguin Random House’s efforts in attracting and developing a diverse talent pool, partnering across our international territories on talent management and development strategy.

 

With a pragmatic and collaborative approach, Jo and her team advise and support all aspects of talent management, inclusion, and learning and development in the U.S. and globally, delivering best-fit solutions for individuals, teams, and the organization. An accredited Associate Professional Coach with the International Coach Federation, Jo also coaches colleagues regularly to help them meet their goals and excel in their roles.

 

Jo joined Random House UK in 2011 to lead the Learning & Development function and moved to New York in 2014.  Prior to that, Jo spent over 13 years honing her talent and learning expertise at the creative agency, Leo Burnett, and The Walt Disney Company.

Thomas Rathnow CEO Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe Thomas Rathnow was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Board of Verlagsgruppe Random House in November 2018. In this capacity, he oversees all publishing and business for each of the Verlagsgruppe’s publishing divisions. In 2016, Thomas and his team founded Penguin Verlag. Thomas was previously a member of the management board of the Verlagsgruppe, where he was responsible for C. Bertelsmann, carl's books, Hörverlag, Diederichs, DVA, Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Knaus, Kösel, Manesse, Pantheon, Prestel, Random House Audio and Siedler. In 2005, Thomas was instrumental in establishing the prestigious Pantheon Verlag in Germany. Prior to joining Verlagsgruppe Random House in 2004, Thomas held positions at Ullstein Verlag and Luchterhand Literaturverlag Thomas began his career as a literary critic, after having graduated from Munich University with degrees in German and American literary studies as well as Sociology.

Manuel Sansigre SVP & Head of Global Mergers & Acquisitions, Penguin Random House

Manuel Sansigre was appointed Senior Vice President and Head of Global Mergers & Acquisitions in September 2017. In this role, he provides M&A, finance, and strategy support for all territories worldwide, with an emphasis on aligning different internal stakeholders’ interests with value creation. He has overseen more than ten acquisition and divestment transactions within Penguin Random House, and has worked on a broad range of projects for Penguin Random House shareholders.

Manuel joined Penguin Random House in September 2015, after having developed a strong interest in the trade-book publishing industry while working for two years as a financial advisor on the Santillana trade-business acquisition on behalf of the company’s corporate Finance and PRH Grupo Editorial teams. Since joining, Manuel has participated in all M&A transactions within Penguin Random House. From October 2016 to March 2017, Manuel also served as interim Finance & Commercial Director in Beijing for Penguin Random House North Asia, where he developed its strategic-growth business plan and helped transform its financial-reporting structure.

Fluent in several languages, Manuel worked in three investment banks across North America, Latin America, and Europe, providing M&A, strategy, and restructuring services in a variety of sectors. He started his career at IBM in its Global Technology Services division.

Manuel holds a JD in law and business administration from the Carlos III University and a Master in Advanced Finance from IE Business School, both located in Madrid. He also has a Master of Science in Business Analytics from NYU, Stern School of Business.

Divya Sawhney SVP, Global Strategy & Corporate Development, Penguin Random House

Divya Sawhney was appointed Senior Vice President of Global Strategy & Corporate Development in 2017. In her role, she is responsible for helping to define, develop and execute on Penguin Random House’s global strategic growth priorities and direction in partnership with the Global Senior Leadership team. In this capacity, she collaborates with publishing, sales, marketing, operations and finance teams across Penguin Random House countries to identify and evaluate growth opportunities and mobilize around key initiatives.

She has been instrumental in defining a set of global priorities, such as global development of PRH's Audio business, further enhancement of PRH’s online sales capabilities and scaling of PRH’s data and analytics capabilities around the world. She has also led regional growth initiatives to leverage PRH’s content across our businesses and shape PRH's presence in emerging markets such as China. Divya is a passionate supporter of Children’s publishing and has been instrumental in shaping PRH’s children's global strategy, including instituting a global children’s publishing forum, helping to execute key PRH acquisitions in this space and scaling them.

Divya joined PRH in 2014. Prior to joining PRH, Divya was previously with Scholastic, where she held several roles across Publishing, Foreign Rights, and Cross-Company sales and analytics as well as co-authored two books. She began her career working in literary agencies in NY and London.

Divya received her MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania with a focus on Strategic Management and Marketing Operations in 2014 and a BA in English at Barnard College in 2008.  She lives with her husband in New York City.

Claire von Schilling EVP & Director, Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility, Penguin Random House Claire von Schilling is Executive Vice President, Director, Corporate Communications and Social  Responsibility at Penguin Random House. In this global role, she oversees media relations, internal communications, branding, social responsibility, including corporate giving, and public affairs. She is focused on telling the company story and building the corporate brand with key stakeholder audiences. She was a global lead for the pre-merger communications for Penguin Random House, oversaw the development of the combined company’s brand identity, and has since initiated and launched a number of internal and external publicity and brand campaigns.

 

Claire joined Random House as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications in 2011. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Corporate Communications at Sony Music, which she joined when the company was SONY BMG in 2006. She had previously worked in Corporate Communications at Bertelsmann, the majority shareholder of Penguin Random House. Claire started her career in Washington, DC handling Public and Government Affairs and Corporate Foundation management at a division of Ford Motor Company at the time, Mazda North American Operations. Claire holds a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University. She lives just outside of New York City with her husband and son.

Luiz Schwarcz CEO, Companhia das Letras

Luiz Schwarcz is the CEO of Companhia Das Letras, which he co-founded with his wife, Lilia Moritz Schwarca, in 1986.

 

The publishing house quickly took off with the publication of Edmund Wilson’s To the Finland Station, and since then it has published works by a diverse range of authors, such as Jorge Amado, Toni Morrison, and Beatrix Potter.

 

Luiz’s own writing includes two children’s books: My Life as a Goalie (1999) and In Search of the Encyclopaedia of Youth (2003); and two short-story collections: Elegy to Serendipity (2005) and Sign Language (2010).

 

In 2003, he co-founded the Paraty International Literary Festival (FLIP). Luiz served on the advisory board for the 2016—2017 Rolex Arts Initiative. The latest of his many honors includes the 2017 London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gaurav Shrinagesh CEO, Penguin Random House India and South East Asia Gaurav is the CEO of Penguin Random House India and South East Asia. He oversees the companies operations in the South and South East Asia region publishing across adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction titles. Under Gaurav’s leadership, Penguin Random House has become the leading publisher in the region and is home to many of the region’s most widely read and beloved authors. Gaurav joined Bertelsmann in 1999 in the highly coveted Bertelsmann Entrepreneurs Program and has held a number of senior positions across the company, having lived and worked in South East Asia, Australia, Germany, New York and China prior to being named Managing Director of Random House India in 2009 and taking over the helm of Penguin Random House India on July 1, 2013. He has worked in a number of key roles for the company including in strategy & M&A, content, new media & digital and change management building businesses from start up to scale. Born in India in 1970, Gaurav was educated at the Lawrence School, Sanawar and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from St. Xaviers College, Mumbai and an MBA from The Melbourne Business School.

Rebecca Smart CO-CEO, DK Global

Rebecca was appointed Co-CEO of DK in April 2022 after joining the company in 2019 as Managing Director, Publishing. Rebecca first joined the Penguin Random House family as Managing Director of the Ebury division of Penguin Random House UK, after serving as CEO of independent publisher Osprey.

Rebecca has been a member of the DK Board since joining the company, and before that sat on the PRH UK Executive Board. She is a member of the UK Publishers Association Council and a Creative Access mentor.

Rebecca graduated from the University of Warwick with an MBA, the University of Hertfordshire with a Postgraduate Diploma in Publishing, and the University of Leeds with a BA in Linguistics and Phonetics. 

Anke Steinecke EVP & Chief Legal Officer, Penguin Random House

Anke Steinecke was appointed General Counsel of Penguin Random House in the US in July 2016, and named Chief Legal Officer of Penguin Random House worldwide in January 2018. In addition to leading the legal team in the US, she advises and provides legal support across territories with an emphasis on a pragmatic, collaborative, and productive approach to legal matters.

Anke is a recognized expert in First Amendment and Intellectual Property law, and she and her team counsel on all aspects of the publishing process, prepublication and content review, litigation, material transactions, including corporate and commercial contracts and M&A, licensing and intellectual property matters, finance and data protection/privacy and general corporate matters.

Previously, Anke served first as counsel for Random House Children’s Books, and then for more than 10 years for the Knopf Doubleday Group, where she handled an extensive number of complex publishing-related matters and negotiations. She has been the lead in-house attorney and advisor on mergers and acquisitions, starting with Golden Books in 2000, and more recently the trade publishing business of Santillana and Edicones B in Spain and Latin America.

Prior to joining Random House in 2000, Anke was an attorney with the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine, where she advised book publishers and other media companies in First Amendment and Intellectual Property matters.

Anke has law degrees from the University of Munich in Germany and NYU. (LLM).

Tom Weldon CEO, Penguin Random House U.K. Tom Weldon was brought up in London. He studied history at Oxford University, then was hired as a graduate trainee by Macmillan. After three years as a nonfiction commissioning editor there, he joined William Heinemann, then owned by Reed Elsevier. He spent nine years there as an Executive Editor; American Editorial Director, based in New York; and Publisher of the imprint. In 1997 he moved to Penguin as Publishing Director of Michael Joseph. In 2001 he became Managing Director of the Penguin General division (then comprising the Michael Joseph, Viking, Hamish Hamilton, Fig Tree, and Penguin Ireland imprints). He was made Deputy CEO of Penguin U.K. in 2009 and CEO in January 2011. In July 2013, he was appointed the first CEO of Penguin Random House U.K. Tom has also attended London Business School. From the age of nine, Tom has had a passion for horse racing. In his view, gambling is very important to publishing as well. He does not find it surprising, therefore, that he fell in love with publishing on his first day at Macmillan, and that love has never gone away.