 |
|
| Mary Beech | |
Mary Beech has been named chief marketing & transformation officer at Scholastic, effective January 1, 2022. In this newly created position, she will, the company said, concentrate on "creating greater customer centricity, data-driven activations with a focus on digital, and connectivity throughout Scholastic to better serve educators, caregivers and children." With the change, she will resign from the Scholastic board, where she has been an independent director since 2018.
Beech most recently was CEO of Sarah Flint, a direct-to-consumer, luxury footwear brand for women. Earlier she was the principal of MRB Brand Consulting; executive v-p and chief marketing officer of Kate Spade New York; and held several management, marketing, licensing and brand management positions at the Walt Disney Company.
Scholastic CEO and president Peter Warwick commented: "Mary's new role is an important part of our larger strategy for Scholastic, leveraging our data and technology investments and transforming how cross-functional collaboration is executed at the company. During her tenure on the Scholastic board, Mary has brought insightful leadership and displayed a shared commitment to our mission of reaching every child through literacy. She is a passionate leader who has proven her marketing and transformational strength through her work with powerful brands such as Disney and Kate Spade."
Iole Lucchese, Scholastic chief strategy officer and chair of the board, said, "Building on the trust that young readers, teachers and parents have in the Scholastic brand, our opportunity today is to realize our mission in increasingly innovative ways that anticipate evolving market needs. In Mary, I saw an incredible talent of unleashing the power of a brand and directly connecting to customers."
Beech said: "From my experience as a board member, Scholastic has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to its mission and the strength of brand to span generations, and I'm energized by this opportunity to be part of a leadership team that I have come to know is so deeply rooted in children's publishing and education."