The interaction between members and staff is essential to our work and we convene a range of councils, communities and task forces to facilitate this.
The groups all perform a variety of roles and functions, covering the full breadth of our members’ businesses and interests. They provide information, direction and instruction to our staff, taking care at all times to ensure no competition law issues arise.
Our Council and sector councils are decision-making boards comprising senior executives representing the main sectors of membership. In general, the major themes of discussion for councils fall into three categories: the business environment; communications and services; legal and policy.
For each sector, there are business environment factors, which the groups need to consider and shape opinion and action on.
Driving campaigns to promote the value of the sector to the UK’s economy and culture, including the messaging and means to communicate what publishers do and the impact they have.
Oversight and maintenance of the legal and regulatory environment for publishing, in the UK and overseas. Horizon-scanning for changes, responding to events and issues, discussing the impact and industry responses.
The Publishers Association is governed by an executive board comprising 20 representatives elected from the membership, including the Officers and Chairs of the sector councils.
Council is chaired by the President of the Publishers Association with support from the Vice President (treasurer) and Past President.
It oversees the organisation’s internal affairs, including budget, governance and strategy. Decision-making on major issues takes place at Council, often with input and recommendations from the councils and groups that report in.
The Council has 12 seats available, plus Officers and up to six ex-officio seats. Council members serve a three year term, renewable for a further three years after which the Council member must leave for at least a year before re-election. Elections for seats take place at the Annual General Meeting.
Reporting to Council are four sector councils, which meet four times a year.
The four sector councils provide a space where each sector of the publishing industry can come together to discuss the external environment they are operating in. This may include consideration of legislative and policy changes, initiatives, and obstacles impacting that sector.
Members will understand how these activities and market environments are impacting or will impact their businesses. They can then advise the Publishers Association on sector impacts and delegate project work or set up sub-groups to tackle the various issues if needed. The members also guide and advise association staff on positions they wish the Publishers Association to take on behalf of the industry.
The Publishers Association engages with a broad range of stakeholder organisations and government departments on areas of interest to the councils.
Chaired by Torie Eva (Vice President, Global Policy, Elsevier) since December 2022.
Chaired by Rebecca Smart (Co-CEO, DK) since March 2023.
Chaired by Lindsay Nadin (Director, Primary & Direct to Learner, UK Schools, Pearson UK) since July 2021.
Chaired by Katie Thorn (Senior Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Macmillan Learning) since January 2022.
Taskforces are groups set up by a council to look at a particular issue for a set period. They are convened as appropriate and report to all councils.
Chaired by Berwyn Jones (Head of Digital and Assessment, UK Secondary Schools, Pearson UK)
The Sustainability Taskforce meets each quarter to provide input into an industrywide sustainability strategies and initiatives. The taskforce is chaired by Helen Griggs (Director of Procurement at Cambridge University Press).
Publisher communities comprise people in a sub-sector, operating as a sub-group of a sector council.
Reporting to the Consumer Publishers Council, these committees comprise panels of publishers specialising in particular subsectors of consumer publishing.
Chaired by Jon Watt (Group Audio Director, Bonnier Books) since November 2022.
Chaired by Rebecca McNally (Publishing Director, Children’s Books, Bloomsbury) and Aimée Felone (Managing Director, Knights Of) since September 2021
Reporting to the Education Publishers Council, these committees comprise panels of publishers specialising in particular subject areas. Their purpose is to liaise with stakeholders that influence policy in the relevant subject area, including the Department for Education and subject associations.
Chaired by Andrea Quincey, (Director, Primary Literacy at Oxford University Press).
Chaired by Jill Cornish (Editorial Director, Primary Maths, Science and Foundation Subjects, Oxford University Press).
Publisher communities comprise a group of members from a particular function who provide specialist and technical advice to councils and staff.
Chaired by Stacy Scott (Taylor & Francis) since January 2021.
The PAAG has been running for 10 years and brings publishers together with advocacy organisations who are committed to supporting the development and distribution of accessible publications. The group discusses developments in legislation, policy and technology and how this impacts accessible publishing. The group also organises an annual event and develops guidance and best practice for publishers on relevant matters.
Following the work to update the Publishers Association’s Inclusivity Action Plan, the Diversity Working Group has been established to provide an opportunity to review the plan and update on progress and targets. The Diversity Working Group will meet three times per annum. Creative Access will act as secretariat to the group and will co-chair meetings with the Publishers Association.
Chaired by Mark Dennis (Head of Legal, Taylor & Francis) since December 2020.
The purpose of the Law Group is fourfold:
Membership cuts across all three sectors, but there may be occasions where sector-specific sub-groups could be established for a period of time.
Chaired by Anna Mikayelyan (Manager, Ethics & Compliance, Pan Macmillan) since May 2019.
Co-Chaired by Catherine Bogin (Senior Manager – Global Anti-Piracy, Macmillan) and Pippa Watts (Contracts Executive, Scholastic UK).
The Anti-Piracy Working Group considers piracy matters of all kinds (physical and digital) and works closely with the Compliance Forum under the oversight of the Law Group.
The purpose is to:
Chaired by Alistair Tebbit, Head of Government Affairs covering UK, Africa, South Asia and Australasia at RELX.
The purpose of the Policy & Public Affairs Group is to monitor and review political and policy developments that may affect members and provide input and advice to staff and the three sector councils. In particular, the group will be responsible for advising on and shaping the:
The Publishers Association and its members are committed to ensuring that their affairs are conducted in accordance with the highest standards of Competition Law compliance. This means that:
Any member of the Publishers Association can apply to join a group or sector council. If you would like to find out more, please contact Temi.