The Publishers Association exists to make sure publishers across the U.K. can thrive, and my main role and priority as its new CEO is communicating the value of this incredible industry and protecting our members’ ability to do business.
In my mind, there are three areas of focus that we can bring to our members: impact, purpose, and value. These focus areas will help us address some of the issues that so many of our members, across every sector we work with, are facing.
For instance, we have various legal and policy issues within the publishing world that we manage on the industry’s behalf. There are many that won’t have heard of some of these, but they really do underpin publishers’ ability to operate. These range from ensuring U.K. copyright laws remain gold standard, to managing Government intervention on curriculum policies—something U.K. education publishers see as a huge issue.
believe that it is by growing the understanding of our sector’s enormous value that we can expand our influence. And through that influence, we can make a tangible impact on these issues for our members. My aspiration is that the Publishers Association is the most influential membership body within the U.K.’s creative industries, delivering fiercely for our members. It is imperative for me that our sector is given the recognition it deserves, and is as valuable and relevant as possible in Westminster and Whitehall.
Next, we want to bring purpose to what we do and how we do it. Sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and staff wellbeing, among other issues, are areas that I and the wider team feel passionately about. Of course, all of these present their own unique challenges and it is important for us to help our members find their footing.
Take sustainability for instance. This is a huge challenge, and we’re trying to make U.K. publishing as sustainable as we can, with a supply chain we don’t wholly control. We’re investing in lots of new services and products in this area; we recently launched our Carbon Calculator and Materials Index, and have much more in the pipeline. These tools are there to help our members on their own sustainability journeys, whilst spreading awareness of some of the issues they are facing.
Then there are diversity, inclusion, and staff wellbeing. There has been a lot of movement over the years in this space, but there is still a lot more to be done and absolutely no room for complacency. Our 2021 workplace survey demonstrates just this; for instance, more than 50% of senior leadership positions are held by women—which we should be hugely proud of as a sector. However, socio-economic background remains an area that requires significant improvement. We have recently brought in a specialist external partner to help us rework our diversity plans and are optimistic about bringing the industry together to continue to break down these barriers.
Finally, I want the Publishers Association to really add value for our members. I want to continue to introduce new services and provide information that helps them do the work that is really needed, and to make sure they’re getting the best value for money. We’ll be constantly monitoring the business environment that members operate within and building our work around encouraging the optimal business conditions.
I have worked in this industry for some years now and I know, and have witnessed first-hand, what the Publishers Association can achieve. I am here to deliver on these priorities and to further drive the organization forward. I want to create a community that our members are proud to be a part of and I’m looking forward to working with our members, the wider team and our international partners to make this happen.
