Don Weisberg to Step Aside at Macmillan Publishers at End of Year; Jon Yaged Appointed CEO, Macmillan Publishers US 

From a Macmillan Publishers Statement:

Don Weisberg announced today that he will be stepping aside as CEO, Macmillan Publishers at the end of the year. Jon Yaged has been appointed his successor as CEO, Macmillan Publishers US. Weisberg will continue in an advisory capacity to Stefan von Holtzbrinck starting in January 2023.

Don Weisberg says: “Today, with all we’re accomplishing at Macmillan, I can, without hesitation, say that there could be no better time for me to step aside. We are coming off two record-breaking years of unprecedented growth and profit; we have improved every facet of our operation at a time when the world has faced an existential crisis, and we have done it with grace, intelligence, and dedication.

Stefan von Holtzbrinck, Chief Executive Officer of Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, says: “Since 2016, Don has led Macmillan Publishers US, and later the whole of Macmillan Trade Publishing, from strength to strength, building a publishing program with both care for our strong legacy, and a vision of who we could be. He forged a team that is the pride of the publishing industry. Our results for the last two years have been nothing short of spectacular. Just as critically, we have made and continue to make substantial efforts towards creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive company.

“While this is by no means a day of farewell, it is one of emotion, as there is no doubt that we, Macmillan and Holtzbrinck, owe a lot to Don.”

Effective January 1, 2023, Jon Yaged will assume the role of CEO, Macmillan Publishers US. Yaged joined Macmillan in 2011 as President of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, where he developed a publishing strategy and a team that completely transformed the business, advancing the group’s legacy of publishing critically acclaimed, award-winning books for readers of all ages while growing revenue and operating income exponentially. In his current role as President of Macmillan Publishers US, Jon has been instrumental in leading Macmillan’s US publishers to record-breaking sales and profits, all while working to build a publishing program more reflective of the world in which we live. He began his publishing career at The Walt Disney Company, eventually attaining the position of Vice President, US Publisher.

Stefan von Holtzbrinck says: “Jon is widely respected both within Macmillan and across the industry for his ability to attract, develop and empower talent and for creating a culture of mentorship, collaboration and teamwork, so that creativity flourishes along with a sense of belonging. His results-driven approach, his clarity of communication and decisiveness have been and will continue to be particularly valuable in leading the company.”

Jon Yaged says: “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the next CEO of Macmillan Publishers US. From the day I started, Macmillan has been a place that encourages experimentation, nurtures creativity, and cares about people. As we look to the future, I see how we can remain true to our foundation while also continuing to evolve. We will retain the individual identities among our publishers that unquestionably distinguish us from our competitors. We will continue to build upon our progress to make our staff, the books we publish, and the authors we work with more reflective of our society. We will explore new tactics and use new technology to increase discoverability of the books we publish. We will do all of this while striving to make Macmillan the best place to work in publishing.

“A special thanks to Don for not only leading us through the most difficult couple of years I can remember, but also bringing us to new heights across all areas of our company.”

Weisberg adds: “Macmillan has a culture that puts people first. I’ve worked hard to extend and protect that and have no doubt that Jon will as well. He is an extremely smart, capable, effective leader; I’m leaving Macmillan Publishers US in very good hands.”

Macmillan Publishers is a global trade book publishing company with prominent imprints around the world. Macmillan publishes a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats.

U.S. publishers include Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, The St. Martin’s Publishing Group, and Tor Books. In the UK, Australia, India, and South Africa, Macmillan publishes under the Pan Macmillan name. The German company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Rowohlt, and Droemer Knaur.

Macmillan Publishers is a division of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned media company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. us.macmillan.com

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