Holtzbrinck carries forward a centuries-long publishing tradition through renowned houses like Macmillan (founded 1843) and Pan Macmillan, continuing their legacy of literary excellence.
Winning hearts.
Changing minds.
Inspire progress.
Spark debate.
Improve lives.
Defined by a culture of curiosity, commitment, and passion, we’re proud of our heritage as a family-held company. We constantly challenge ourselves to deliver excellence in everything we do.
PEOPLE
14K+
COUNTRIES
120+
REVENUE
€3.8bn+
WHAT WE STAND FOR
Alice and Joseph
Helping books reach more people
We are Curious.
We embrace the complexity of the
world, always asking questions and
exploring
new ideas.
We are Curious.
We embrace the complexity of the world, always asking questions and exploring new ideas. Our curiosity drives us to explore new ways of doing things, avoid assumptions, and spark our own innovation.
Living the values
Check out how our people are living our curiosity value across Holtzbrinck.
We are Committed.
Dedication is at the heart of everything we do. Our teams are fully invested in making a lasting impact, whether through scientific research, educational advancements, quality fiction, or groundbreaking journalism.
Living the values
Check out how our people are living our commitment value across Holtzbrinck.
We are Passionate.
Enthusiasm drives us to do
meaningful things that impact
lives
and move society forward.
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We are Passionate.
Passion drives us forward. We care deeply about what we do, from shaping minds through education to amplifying voices through our publications. It’s this passion that turns ambition into reality.
Living the values
Check out how our people are living our passionate value across Holtzbrinck.
OUR IMPACT
Shaheeda
Publishing scientific discoveries for the world
Driven by passion. Energized by purpose.
Actions speak louder than words, and our people are passionate about leading by example. They embody our commitment to a better future, from volunteering with environmental and social projects to making sustainable choices in their day-to-day work.
Wallieke
Finding the next most-loved novel
300k
Books donated
To underserved communities in 2023.
Supporting communities worldwide.
We donated over 300,000 books in 2023 to underserved communities, and supported initiatives such as Book Rich Environments, distributing books to public housing families.
We raised sums for pandemic relief in India, funding medical supplies and a vaccination center that changed lives.
And we continue to provide educational resources globally, including over 100 boxes of textbooks to Ghana’s Free Community Library.
We believe in supporting communities across the globe.
These are just some of the organizations we’re proud to stand behind:
American Booksellers for Free Speech, USA
Authors Guild, USA
BINC Charitable Foundation, USA
Civitas Schools, UK
Deutsche Schillergesellschaft e.V. / Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach, Germany
First Book, USA
Goddard, USA
Graham Windham (foster care), USA
Julius Springer Charitable Fund e.V., Germany
Literacy Partners, USA
National Book Foundation, USA
National Coalition Against Censorship, USA
PEN American Center, USA
PEN International, USA and Germany
Poets & Writers, USA
Research4Life, USA
Science Media Centres, UK and Germany
Stuttgarter Kinderstiftung, Germany
The National Literacy Trust, UK
United Jewish Appeal, USA
Duda
Planning our progress
-90 %
emissions target
Target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 %
Committed to the
next generation.
We are dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint for a future that remains sustainable and worth living.
Since 2010, we have been on a journey to become a net zero emissions business. We aim to cut the greenhouse
gas emissions from our own operations and value chain by 90% in line with the Paris agreement.
We will address the remaining 10% through investments in innovative climate technologies that actively
remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.
Read more
We believe in the power of progress. And the people driving it.
Our group-wide environmental initiatives focus on renewable energy use and generation, sustainable procurement,
and product design as well as optimized logistics across all parts of our organization. These efforts align with
the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring ethical and impactful progress.
Our largest business,
Springer Nature, is leading the way with ambitious, science-based climate targets, aiming to achieve net-zero
emissions already by 2040. Learn more about Springer Nature's climate commitments & progress here.
Learn more about the positive contribution our companies make to
the SDGs:
Macmillan Publishers & Macmillan Learning
OUR HERITAGE
Bold ideas and big ambitions
have shaped who we are today.
Heritage
Rooted in Tradition
1970s
Growth
Acquisitions of publishers like Rowohlt, Droemer, and Handelsblatt signals a steady growth for the group, forging the Verlagsgruppe GvH Holding out of a conglomerate of companies.
1980s
Going Global
External growth into US book (H. Holt) and scientific and education content (Scientific American, W.H. Freeman) sees the group expand into international markets. By contrast, in 1989 the book-club activities were discontinued.
1990s
Expansion
A period of accelerated growth sees the group take a foothold in English and Spanish speaking markets, with acquisitions of Worth, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and Macmillan (including St. Martin's, Tor, Nature and Palgrave).
2000s
Redefining Focus
A strategic shift toward education, science, and digital business models defined the decade, marked by the bold and heartfelt divestment of newspaper holdings, except for the stakes in DIE ZEIT, and an international expansion focused on the company’s core sectors as well as new internet-based business models.
2010s
Strengthening Foundations
A company-wide reorganization establishes three divisions—Science & Education, Consumer Books, and Digital. A landmark joint venture in 2015 forms Springer Nature and strengthens our digital and scientific publishing ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
The Future is Now
We are actively shaping the frontiers of Publishing and Science by applying and investing in AI, championing Open Science, and reimagining storytelling to meet the evolving needs of researchers, readers, and creators worldwide.