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Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck is to restructure along divisional rather than geographic lines, in a development which will see Pan Macmillan m.d. Anthony Forbes-Watson reporting to Macmillan US chief executive John Sargent, while Macmillan UK c.e.o. Annette Thomas takes on the Group's higher education business in the US.
From 2nd July, the company is to operate through three divisions. Global Trade, managed by Sargent, will encompass all the consumer book publishing operations of the Group, including all the US, German, UK and Australian houses. Thomas will have management of a Global Science and Education division, consisting of Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Education, Macmillan Higher Education and Palgrave Macmillan, also to include Digital Science, Digital Education and Macmillan New Ventures.
The executive board and branding of the Group will remain unchanged. The organisational structure for the German news media (including Die Zeit) and digital media (including Holtzbrinck digital) will also be unaffected.
Holtzbrinck chairman Stefan von Holtzbrinck said: "The science, education and consumer publishing markets are experiencing significant changes, offering us many new opportunities. The reorganisation will allow us to take even more advantage of the converging forces of digitisation and globalisation by providing us with increased focus and flexibility. There will be more opportunities for cooperation in exciting projects around the globe."
He said he wished to emphasise that the change would not affect the publisher's "long-standing and cherished tradition of independent entrepreneurship" in the individual markets. "Our authors, scientists, teachers, readers and users, who are at the centre of our endeavour, will benefit from a broader marketing and distribution network as well as from technology investments in a strategically joined up way," he added.