Bookseller and Publisher Online has reported that effective October 27, Robert Gorman will become CEO of Allen & Unwin, the highly respected Australian publisher many of whose titles are distributed in the U.S. by Independent Publishers Group. Gorman has been CEO of HarperCollins Australia since Brian Murray returned to the U.S. in 2004. (Murray now heads HarperCollins in the U.S.)
With the change, Paul Donovan, managing director, becomes executive director, and trade publishing director Sue Hines and financial director David Martin will join A&U's executive board.
According to B&P, Allen & Unwin chairman Patrick Gallagher commented: "As we've enjoyed such stability in the leadership team from the beginning it was a challenge to contemplate change at the top. Paul Donovan and myself are not getting any younger though, and we agreed that new blood was needed and an infusion of fresh ideas. At the same time we are very jealous of the A&U culture and want to ensure that this will continue.
"Robert of course spent the first fourteen years of his publishing career with us. He made a major contribution before he went on to new challenges at HarperCollins, where we've watched and been most impressed by his achievements. We could not be more pleased that he's agreed to come and take the helm at Allen & Unwin."
He praised "the magnificent contribution Paul Donovan has made as sales and marketing and then managing director. We've worked together for longer than most marriages, over thirty years in fact, and I could not have had a better colleague."
At HarperCollins Australia, marketing director Jim Demetriou will assume Gorman's responsibilities until a new CEO is appointed.