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Alison Ruane is leaving HarperCollins after 15 years to join Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB)as its new communications director.
Currently brand strategy director at Harper Collins Children’s Books, Ruane will start her role in the spring, also joining the MCB management team. She will report to Sara Lloyd, digital and communications director of Pan Macmillan, and Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, MCB publisher.
Ruane will succeed Alyx Price, who this month moves into her new role of associate publisher for MCB.
Lloyd said: "I am absolutely thrilled that Alison has agreed to join at such an exciting time for Pan Macmillan as we gear up for the next stage in our children’s publishing growth. The depth and breadth of Alison’s marketing experience as well as her all round pedigree as a senior leader and influencer make her the perfect addition to my team and I know we’re going to have a lot of fun working together to achieve our ambitions for the business."
Ruane held associate publisher and marketing director roles at HarperCollins before becoming brand strategy director in 2016. She has played a role in the growth of brands such as The World of David Walliams and Skulduggery Pleasant, media brands and classics such as Paddington Bear, and launched the books of many début authors and illustrators.
Before joining HarperCollins, she held a variety of marketing roles at Collins Education, Ladybird and Penguin.
Ruane said: "I am thrilled to be joining Macmillan Children’s Books to be part of their future growth at such a pivotal time. Though I’ll be saying goodbye to some wonderful colleagues at Harper Collins, I am very excited to be embarking on the new decade with Sara, Belinda and their teams. MCB have a stellar list and great ambition for the business and I am looking forward to working with them to connect more and more children to their books."
Rasmussen added: "I am very excited that Alison is joining us! She brings invaluable experience of launching and growing new authors and illustrators as well as brand managing some of the biggest names in publishing. Her strategic mindset and ability to connect consumers to content are exactly what we need as we embark upon a new chapter of accelerated growth in children's."