UNDER EMBARGO. Not for release or publication until 9.00am Wednesday 16th January 2008.
NEW ZEALAND RELEASE
Random House Group Strengthens New Zealand Operations with Key Senior Promotions
Michael Moynahan promoted to Chairman
Karen Ferns promoted to Managing Director
15th January 2008: The Random House Group has promoted Michael Moynahan to Chairman, Random House New Zealand. Karen
Ferns, currently Sales and Marketing Director, will take on responsibility for the day to day management of the
business, replacing Michael in his current role as Managing Director.
Michael has been Managing Director, Random House New Zealand since 1999, during which time his achievements have
included a 60% increase in the size of the business, driven largely through growth in local publishing; recruitment and
retention of a strong senior management team; and implementation of industry-leading customer service standards which
have resulted in a string of industry awards.
In his role as Chairman, Michael will continue to bring a strategic and international perspective to building the
business. In addition to his new responsibilities in New Zealand, Michael will also become Managing Director of Random
House India, providing leadership and strategic direction in the Indian market place. Michael will continue to report to
Brian Davies, Managing Director, Overseas Companies, The Random House Group UK.
Since joining Random House in 1999, Karen’s achievements have included delivering significant growth in sales of local
and international authors. She has played a major part in both targeting and integrating acquisitions, as well as the
other strategies which have driven the overall growth of the Company. Karen will continue to report to Michael.
Brian Davies says: “It is a huge testament to Michael and Karen’s abilities that Random House New Zealand has been
nominated for every major industry award since 1999. These changes will enable us to further leverage their talents to
continue to grow and build our New Zealand business.”
Michael Moynahan says: “I am delighted both with my new role and with Karen’s appointment. She has achieved an
incredible amount since joining the company and I believe that with the strong support she will have from Paul
Whittaker, our Finance and Operations Director, and Nicola Legat, our Publishing Director, Karen is in a great position
to take the business forward.”
Karen Ferns says: “We have established a very strong position in New Zealand and I am looking forward to the challenge
of taking the business to the next level and building upon our past achievements and successes.”
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FURTHER INFORMATION:
For further information, please contact Rebecca Simpson on 09 444 7197 or rebecca@randomhouse.co.nz
Notes to Editors
The Random House Group is one of the largest general book publishing companies in the UK. The Group is based in London
with subsidiary companies in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.
The Group comprises six publishing companies with over 40 diverse and highly respected imprints and brand-name
publishers including BBC Books, Jonathan Cape, William Heinemann, Chatto & Windus, Vintage, Corgi, Doubleday, Bantam Press and Virgin Books.
Novelists published by the Group include Dan Brown, Jilly Cooper, John Grisham, Andy McNab, Robert Harris, Mark Haddon,
Ian McEwan and Terry Pratchett.
Random House’s non-fiction publishing consists of broad general non-fiction and specialist categories such as cookery,
gardening, travel and business books. Notable authors of non-fiction include Bill Bryson and Nigella Lawson. The Group’s
classic backlist of over 6000 titles includes the works of Graham Greene, Iris Murdoch and Virginia Woolf amongst
others. Random House Children’s Books publishes many bestselling writers including Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson,
the former Children’s Laureate. The Random House Group distribution business services its own imprints as well as 50
other UK publishers.
The Random House Group is an independently managed subsidiary of Random House Inc in the US, the trade book publishing
division of Bertelsmann AG, one of the world’s largest and most diversified integrated media companies
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