Nina von Moltke to Leave Penguin Random House

Nina von Moltke, president and director of strategic development for Penguin Random House U.S., will leave the publisher in May, according to a note to PRH staff from PRH CEO Nihar Malaviya and outgoing PRH U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh.

Von Moltke oversees a broad swath of PRH's business, including its author development and services group (ranging from the company's Speakers Bureau, to its Out of Print merchandising arm to podcast development and more), author contracts and permissions, royalties and rights management, children’s sub-rights, and corporate design. She and Malaviya will work together to "determine the best organizational solutions for her departments" in the coming months.

"In her twenty years at Penguin Random House, Nina has played a seminal role in building the company we are today," Malaviya and McIntosh wrote in their joint note. "When e-books surged, she was a key member of the team that adapted our publishing processes and business practices to the new needs and requirements of the market. When the first signs emerged of the audio boom, Nina, who oversaw the audio and diversified publishing groups from 2010 to 2018, led the investments in capabilities, infrastructure, and talent that were critical in ensuring our continued market leadership. And when the travel guide business was headed for rough waters in 2015, Nina worked to initiate and lead our divestment from it. In the last few years, Nina has been on the forefront of helping the U.S. leadership team seize growth opportunities."

In a statement, von Moltke wrote: “I’ve been lucky to have worked across an incredibly wide array of areas and functions. I’ve seen my role and responsibilities change, sometimes in unexpected ways, every few years. I loved the twists and turns. It kept the story interesting. It was that dynamic—the allure of new challenges and a desire to stretch beyond the familiar—that led me to this decision. I’m looking forward to what comes next.”