Bad day for Penguin as new man takes over
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.In the latest chapter of the publishing world's roller-coaster tale of executive seat-swapping, former financial journalist Duncan Campbell- Smith was yesterday appointed head of group strategy for Penguin, just as the troubled publishing house announced pounds 100m financial irregularities.
Mr Campbell-Smith, 46, has been made responsible for "clarifying key strategic issues" for the group, which has seen a major reshuffle of senior editing staff in recent months.
The former editor of the Financial Times' Lex column had a foretaste of trouble when he took charge of corporate relations for Pearson while its software arm, Mindscape, was heading for losses of pounds 46m. But he stepped out of the fray to attend an MBA course at the London Business School and then moved to Penguin, a subsidiary of Pearson, as business development director last May.
He was a journalist at the Financial Times for seven years before working as a management consultant. He is also the author of a book on the privatisation of British Airways, published in 1986.
The publishing world has lately been enlivened with gossip generated by job-swapping in the upper echelons of the business. The top job at Penguin Group was recently taken by Helen Fraser, formerly MD of the Reed Group of publishers, while Clare Alexander, who headed Viking, Penguin's classy-but-popular imprint, quit to join Macmillan.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments