George Slowik Jr., who acquired Publishers Weekly last month from Reed Business Information, has named four veterans of the magazine as corporate officers. Publisher Cevin Bryerman, co-editorial directors Jim Milliot and Michael Coffey, and children's book editor Diane Roback will serve as vice-presidents in PWxyz, the entity that now owns PW, PublishersWeekly.com, and the BEA, London, and Frankfurt Show Dailies. "I am relying on their expertise, experience, and astounding commitment to the future of this franchise that they've all been part of for many years," said Slowik of the appointees. "Now they are empowered and enabled to act on their ideas, and they have made it very clear to me that it won't be business as usual."
Bryerman, who was named publisher in early March, sees many opportunities for growing the business. "There is much we can now do internationally with the brand, as content becomes more global. New technologies and platforms will allow us to be in those markets in a variety of ways. And we are determined to serve our current readers and advertisers in better and better ways—in print, on the Web, on mobile devices, through educational panels, and more."
Milliot, who has been the news and business editor and is also in charge of PW Daily, a daily industry newsletter, believes that analysis and market data remain indispensable. "With the industry changing as quickly as it is, people need help in finding ways that will not only let them survive but thrive. We plan on providing the information necessary to help them reach informed decisions."
Coffey, who was recently named co-editorial director along with Milliot, said, "Things have never been as exciting at PW as they are now. It was difficult for us to respond to a changing marketplace when we were part of a gigantic corporation. Now we are thinking like a startup, except we have the benefit of 138 years as a well-established brand—right now we've got the largest audience we've ever had."
Roback, who has run the children's book department since the late 1980s, looks forward to incorporating children's books into even more areas of PW's overall coverage. "Children's book publishing," she said, "is a vital part of our industry and of the culture at large. Some of publishing's brightest success stories have come from the children's side of the business, and I look forward to expanding the reach and readership of PW, through our expanded Web presence, our Children's Bookshelf e-newsletter, our growing Twitter and blog communities, and other new platforms as they arise."
Slowik has opted for a more decentralized editorial leadership model in the belief that, in today's challenging market, a diversity of perspectives is optimal. "Publishing is now filled with vertical segments, niche markets, and ever-changing ways to publish and access content," he said. "We need to hear ideas in equal measure from different sources with varied points of view, and this corporate structure reflects that. Think of it as crowdsourcing at the edit table."
