Steve Parr, who was named CEO of Harry Abrams in February, has finished assembling an executive team that he said "will carry us forward." Parr told PW that when he arrived at Abrams, "I gave myself six months to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses, and then built teams around the directions I feel we need to move in." Parr joined Abrams following a major restructuring of the company last November (News, Nov. 19, 2001).

Among the new executives is Stan Redfern, who has been named v-p, production. "Production is our largest expenditure, and I was looking for someone with experience not only with art books, but with a more general list as well," Parr explained. Redfern, who has been with Reader's Digest, Harcourt Brace, Watson-Guptill and American Showcase, also has contacts with printers around the world, which Parr expects will give Abrams "the best price and the best quality."

Abrams's new controller is Tony Ponzo, whose previous experience included serving as CFO and controller of Black Dog & Leventhal. Ponzo's appointment is part of Parr's effort to upgrade Abrams's management information systems, and Parr said he expects to look to improve the company's production and financial systems in about six months.

Mary Faria, formerly director of sales for children's books at HarperCollins, has been named director of national accounts. Faria will call on the major accounts herself and will also oversee Abrams's sales efforts to mass merchandisers such as Costco and Target. "I feel we can do more business there [in the mass merchandisers]," Parr said. Parr sees growth opportunities in the sale of foreign rights and co-editions as well, and to exploit that field he named Jutta Pakenis director of foreign rights. Pakenis had been with Sterling and had also been director of rights and contracts at Abbeville.

To help grow its children's list, Susan Van Metre has been named senior editor of Abrams Books for Young Readers. For the last 12 years, Van Metre had been with Dutton Children's Books. Revenues have grown at a 30% clip in the children's division in recent years, and Parr wants to continue that pace.

Parr said that Abrams "will never walk away from the art book business. It's our most important market." He acknowledged, however, that the new appointments were made with an eye toward growing the company "substantially" in such other areas as children's and the company's Stewart Tabori & Chang imprint.