Carolyn Reidy Named Publishers Weekly 2017 Person of the Year
NEW YORK, December 1—Carolyn Reidy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster, Inc., has been named 2017 Person of the Year by Publishers Weekly, the international news magazine of book publishing and bookselling.
The selection of Reidy for the annual honor, featured in a cover story in the magazine’s December 4 issue, comes as she completes her tenth year at the helm of the distinguished global publishing company. In its article, Publishers Weekly cited Reidy for having “steered the publisher through the Great Recession, publishing’s digital disruption, and a slow-growth sales environment all while keeping Simon & Schuster a commercial and critical success,” and also noted her “steady leadership in guiding one of the country’s Big 5 trade publishers.”
Commenting for the story, Leslie Moonves, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation, said, “In 2008 Carolyn hit the ground running as CEO and has never stopped. She has a great grasp of the big picture, is on top of the critical details, and has an infectious enthusiasm for every aspect of publishing that she communicates to the entire company. She leads from the front and has managed the company beautifully through a truly transformative time within the industry. We are fortunate to have had an executive of her talents and vision as our CEO for the past 10 years, and look forward to a great future at Simon & Schuster under her leadership.”
Under Reidy’s guidance, Simon & Schuster has aggressively pursued bringing its works to consumers using new digital formats and through new distribution capabilities, and promoted the use of newly available tools and methods for direct-to-consumer marketing and increased discoverability for its books and authors. It has expanded its international publishing operations, and has made numerous strategic moves that have added to its publishing portfolio and ability to serve every publishing category and segment of the reading public.
“I am truly humbled and grateful to receive this honor from Publishers Weekly,” said Reidy. “It is a tribute to the hard work, creativity and professionalism of our employees, in all our locations worldwide, and to the authors, booksellers, distribution clients and other members of the larger Simon & Schuster family, who are truly partners in our success. I thank each and every one of them for their contributions to all that we have accomplished.”
Reidy first joined Simon & Schuster in 1992 as President of the Trade Division, and was named President of the Adult Publishing Group in 2001. During her time with the company, Simon & Schuster has published countless major bestselling and acclaimed works, including winners of the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, Grammy Award, Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal.
Reidy is on the Boards of Directors of the Association of American Publishers and the National Book Foundation, and has been named one of “The 50 Women to Watch” by the Wall Street Journal. She is a graduate of Middlebury College, and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Indiana University.
CONTACT:
Adam Rothberg
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
adam.rothberg@simonandschuster.com, 212-698-1132
Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Touchstone, Adams Media, Threshold Editions, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com