HarperCollins is making a number of changes to its international and North American executive teams, three years after the acquisition of Harlequin.
In a note to staff on June 5, HarperCollins president and CEO Brian Murray wrote: "The combination of HarperCollins and Harlequin laid the groundwork to build one of the largest global trade publishers in the world.... With a solid foundation in place, now is the time to align our structure with our strategy to realize our ambitious foreign language growth plans."
Chantal Restivo-Alessi, currently executive v-p of international and the company's chief digital officer, will expand her role from leading the Global Publishing Program to overseeing the general management and operations of all foreign language publishing. Reporting to Restivo-Alessi will be the managing directors of all HarperCollins branches in Europe and Japan, along with Tod Shuttleworth, senior v-p and group publisher overseeing Brazil and Mexico.
Rob Zaffiris, senior v-p of finance and strategic operations, has been named chief financial officer for HarperCollins International and head of corporate development, reporting to Restivo-Alessi. He will continue his role in global corporate development, and will report to CFO Janet Gervasio for that role.
Steve Miles, COO of Harlequin International, has retired after 17 years. His team, located in Toronto, will report to Restivo-Alessi.
In North America, Craig Swinwood will become CEO of Harlequin and HarperCollins Canada, and will oversee the move to new office space in Toronto for both publishers next year. Iris Tupholme, senior v-p and executive publisher of HarperCollins Canada, and Leo MacDonald, senior v-p of sales and marketing for HarperCollins Canada, will both report to Swinwood.
