The first staff cuts resulting from the Penguin Random House Canada merger were made public yesterday.
President and CEO Brad Martin issued a statement saying that the company has been carefully reviewing its systems and teams since the merger was announced in July, and as a result, the sales department has now been realigned and united.
That realignment has cost Penguin Canada’s v-p of sales Don Robinson, and sales director Leith Hayman, their jobs. Robinson had been with Penguin for more than 20 years; Hayman also had a long history with the company. Ned Ma, a financial analyst with Penguin, was also laid off.
On the Random side, Marlene Fraser, director of special sales, who had been with the company for more than 20 years, lost her job, as did Katerina Ortakova, a national accounts marketing assistant.
According to the announcement, the realignment also means that Penguin Canada executive sales directors Tim Carter, Scott Loomer and Liza Morrison will now report directly to Martin, but continue in their roles overseeing national account sales. Brad Francis and Kevin McCabe continue to report to Scott Loomer. Random’s executive v-p and director of sales Duncan Shields will now assume responsibility for Penguin’s mass merchandise channel, field sales, and library and academic sales, along with his previous responsibilities.
Random’s director of sales James Young will continue to report to Shields and will now also directly oversee field sales and library and academic sales for Penguin, in addition to his other responsibilities.
Jordan Fenn, publisher of Random House’s Fenn/McClelland & Stewart imprint, continues in that role, but has also been appointed to a newly created position of v-p and director of new business development and special markets.
In a separate announcement, Martin said Fenn will oversee a combined Penguin Random special markets department, which will be responsible for all sales outside the traditional retail and wholesale book channels. The department will include gift and specialty markets, sales to the Scholastic Book Club, developing book product with corporate brands, promotional product sales, and will manage the company’s presence at gift shows.
Newly reporting to Fenn are: Janet Piper, Penguin’s manager, corporate and promotional sales and Sarah Cawthorne, Penguin’s manager of special markets; as well as Teresa Napolitano, manager, gift sales; Rachelle Drobena, inside sales, special markets; and Daniel Rondeau, special markets sales co-ordinator for Random House.
Martin credited Fenn, who joined Random House of Canada in 2011, with developing a sports publishing program built upon his experience, contacts and license deals he secured with organization such as the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, NASCAR and Hockey Canada. “In building these lists, Jordan has demonstrated his true gift for ‘cold-calling’, identifying and advancing opportunities, and developing relationships, which I am confident will contribute to his success in his new position,” Martin said.
