Polly Powell has been appointed CEO of Quarto's U.K. operations and made an executive director of the company. A former publisher at Pavilion Books, Powell joined the firm late last year as an advisor to Group CEO C.K. Lau "following a period of boardroom upheaval at the publishing house," the Bookseller reported, adding that she "had been tasked with help Lau shape the creative direction of its U.K. business."
Powell's appointment comes after the Quarto Group raised £13.9 million (about $18.2 million) in a share offer last week, the Bookseller wrote, noting that 57.4% of the shares on offer were taken up by shareholders, with the rest going to Lau and the Giunti famiy. Andrea Giunti Lombardo has been named as a non-executive director of the company.
Powell, who has more than 30 years of experience in nonfiction publishing, will continue to serve on the board of Pavilion--the company she became sole owner of in 2012.
Quarto also announced that Michael Mousley has stepped down as non-executive director of the company.