The Association of American Publishers has announced the election of Youngsuk "YS" Chi as chair of the board for the 2024-2025 term. Chi is the chairman of Elsevier and director of corporate affairs for the RELX Group, and has served on the AAP Board since 2007; he previously served as board chair from 2016 to 2017.
In a statement, AAP president and CEO Maria Pallante said that the board has elected "a veteran leader at an unprecedented moment" for the publishing industry. "YS is deeply respected by his peers and brings decades of experience in both global publishing and global policy to the board room," Pallante said. "We are excited to have him at the helm as we advocate for publishing houses of all sizes on IP, technology policies, and freedom of expression.”
In a statement, Chi said he was honored to assume the role of chair: "I look forward to collaborating with the board and AAP's talented team to navigate the challenges facing our industry, preserve foundational American principles, and contribute to the healthy development of our society.”
Chi succeeds Norton's Julia Reidhead, who Pallante thanked for her "tireless leadership" in 2023. "Julia’s tenure was marked by a series of extraordinary challenges as well as an impressive chain of victories, including a decisive win in the case against the Internet Archive, and historic triumphs in suits challenging book bans in Texas and Arkansas." Reidhead will remain a board officer as she transitions from chair to immediate past chair.
The Board also announced that Brian Murray, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers, has been elected to the position of vice chair, and Jeremy North, managing director for books at Taylor & Francis, was reelected treasurer.
