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Howard Davies is taking over the role of head of policy and public affairs at The Booksellers Association (BA) for a year as Laura McCormack goes on maternity leave.
In his new role, which takes effect immediately, Davies will be lobbying governments across the UK and Ireland to enhance the reputation and impact of the work of the BA and its members, and to champion booksellers and their needs.
Davies previously worked in the Civil Service, working on responses to Covid-19 and Brexit. Prior to that, he served as head of public affairs at Standard Life, where he worked on a variety of policy issues across the UK and the EU and as far afield as India and China. He started his career as a bookseller for Dillons in Cardiff, a role which he said he loved.
Meryl Halls, BA m.d., said: “We are thrilled to welcome Howard to the BA team as he takes over as Laura’s maternity cover. As Covid restrictions lift and supply chain issues continue, it has never been more important that the government listens to the needs of booksellers and the high street more broadly. We look forward to working with Howard as we continue our work in the political sphere.”
Davies added: “I am delighted to be joining the great team at the BA. I am looking forward to further building BA’s excellent public policy work and serving and learning from its members.”