With Vivendi's purchase of Houghton Mifflin putting the publisher under the same ownership as Vivendi's Larousse Kingfisher Chambers division, LKC's operation has been placed under the direction of HM trade president Wendy Strothman. As a result, Kingfisher's New York City office, which had approximately 15 employees, is being closed, and four people will move to HM's New York facility. Kingfisher, a publisher of illustrated children's books, will become an HM imprint and HM will distribute the Larousse and Chambers lines.
Penelope Chaplin has been named v-p, North America, for Kingfisher and will be based in New York. John Richards has been appointed acting managing director and will work from London. Both Chaplin and Richards will report to Strothman.
