Curiosity is in
our hearts.

Patricia

 

MANAGING DIRECTOR MEXICO, COLUMBIA & CENTRAL AMERICA, PERU & ANDEAN COUNTRIES

 

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Patricia reflects on her 16-year journey with Macmillan Education, highlighting how continuous growth, strong values, and a shared passion for educational impact have shaped both her leadership and the region’s success.

 

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How did you make the decision to come to Macmillan Education?

With over 30 years in the publishing industry in Mexico, I have always regarded Macmillan as a company of exceptional quality, strong ethics,  and a highly skilled team. Even while working at other publishing houses, I admired its reputation. So, when I was invited to join Macmillan 16 years ago as Publishing Director at Ediciones Castillo (which Macmillan acquired in 2004), I didn’t hesitate. Today,  my belief remains unchanged—I am part of the best educational publishing company in Mexico.

What was your path within our group?

It has been both an exciting and challenging journey. In many ways, it feels like I’ve started a new job multiple times, as Macmillan has continually offered me opportunities to take on new roles and challenges. I began as Publishing Director at Ediciones Castillo in 2008 and was promoted to Managing Director two years later. In January 2020, just before the pandemic, Macmillan and Castillo merged their management teams, and I was entrusted with leading both companies—not only in Mexico but also in Peru, the Andean countries, Colombia, and Central America.

What are the big opportunities ahead for you and your team?

As I have grown into new roles within Macmillan, my team has grown alongside me, embracing new responsibilities and opportunities. Together, we continue to strengthen the group's position in our markets. Additionally, we now face the exciting challenge of expanding into the Solutions market, a new sales model that requires a fresh approach. Artificial Intelligence also presents countless possibilities to rethink the publishing industry—transforming how we produce, deliver, and sell educational content. To do this successfully, we are actively preparing new solutions and business models for the future.

What do you love about working at Macmillan Education?

The commitment and passion of the local and global teams. We all seek the best for education and improving the lives of children and young people in our countries. We work hard to provide the best solutions for schools, educators, and students. And I have to say, I have the best executive managers I could ever hope for! They always support us.

What advice do you have for job seekers looking to join as part of the group?

If you are looking for a quality, ethical company, innovative, with clear objectives, in search of excellence, this is the best place to  be. Here you can build a long-term career if you contribute to the objectives.

Hasan

 

Vice President, Organizational Culture, Macmillan Learning

 

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Hasan shares how a values-driven culture at Macmillan Learning fuels both individual growth and organizational impact, while exploring the powerful intersection of inclusion and AI to shape the future of education.

 

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What is your name, and what is your role at Macmillan Learning?

Hasan Rafiq, VP Organizational Culture.

What inspired you to join Macmillan Learning, and how has your journey been so far?

I was drawn to Macmillan Learning because of its profound commitment to transforming education and empowering learners. The company's dedication to developing innovative learning solutions that make education more accessible and effective deeply resonated with my personal values. What truly sets Macmillan Learning apart is its exceptional leadership team's investment in both employee growth and community impact. Since joining, I've been inspired by how the company consistently puts these values into action - from supporting professional development initiatives to engaging in meaningful community partnerships. Being part of an organization that genuinely prioritizes both individual growth and societal advancement has made this journey incredibly fulfilling.

What do you value most about working at Macmillan Learning in the area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)?

What I value most about Macmillan Learning is our approach to Organizational Culture & Diversity goes beyond surface-level initiatives to foster genuine human connections and understanding. We recognize that diversity encompasses both visible and invisible differences – from cultural backgrounds and physical abilities to thinking styles and life experiences. What's particularly meaningful is how this understanding translates into action through inclusive practices that ensure every voice is heard and valued.

I'm inspired by how we create spaces where people can bring their whole selves to work, share their unique perspectives, and contribute to our collective growth. This holistic approach to inclusion isn't just about meeting metrics – it's about building authentic relationships and ensuring everyone has real opportunities to develop and thrive. The result is a richer, more innovative workplace where different viewpoints are not just welcomed, but actively sought out as catalysts for better solutions and stronger outcomes.

What opportunities do you see on the horizon for your team and the DEI initiatives at Macmillan Learning?

I'm incredibly excited about the transformative potential of combining our Inclusion initiatives with AI advancement at Macmillan Learning. The horizon holds tremendous opportunities to develop AI powered learning solutions that truly understand and adapt to diverse learning styles, cultural contexts, and individual needs. What's particularly inspiring is our commitment to ensuring AI technology serves as a great equalizer – breaking down traditional barriers to education and creating personalized learning experiences that resonate with every student's unique background and potential. One of our tools, the AI tutor, does just that and has been very well received by the students and teachers.

By thoughtfully integrating inclusion principles into our AI development, we're not just building smarter technology – we're crafting more inclusive educational experiences that can reach and empower learners from all walks of life. This convergence of innovation and inclusion positions us to make education more accessible, engaging, and effective for everyone, ultimately helping to create a more equitable future in education.

Phoenix

 

Vice President, Marketing Strategy, MACMILLAN LEARNING

 

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Phoenix highlights how collaboration and innovation in marketing strategies are paving the way for better customer experiences.

 

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Who are you, and what is your role at Macmillan Learning?

I’m Phoenix, Vice President, Marketing Strategy at Macmillan Learning. My work focuses on developing and implementing innovative marketing strategies, and I’m also a part of the Funnel Management working group within the Holtzbrinck Group.

What inspires you about your work?

As a marketing enthusiast, I find it incredibly inspiring to collaborate with colleagues who share a high degree of intellectual curiosity and strategic vision. Exploring opportunities with generative AI has been invigorating, as it allows us to reimagine how we can enhance funnel management processes.

What drives you to push innovation and progress?

In today's highly-competitive markets, staying ahead is not a choice, it's a necessity. My work focuses on borrowing the best practices from across the organization to fine-tune customer acquisition and retention strategies. This enables us to deliver more personalized, efficient, and enjoyable experiences for prospects and customers, while also empowering our teams to implement effective marketing practices and tools to better serve our markets and achieve success.

What do you value most about collaborating with global colleagues within Holtzbrinck?

I relish the opportunity to learn about how my global marketing colleagues were facing—and making great strides in addressing—the same marketing funnel needs and challenges that our teams are encountering. The calls and asynchronous working sessions with colleagues who all had a shared goal were like 'caffeine shots' of inspiration, and the chance to forge relationships with such talented colleagues is priceless.

Harsh

 

Chief Publishing Officer & Member of the Management Board

 

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Harsh shares how his passion for science, technology, and innovation aligns with Springer Nature’s mission—and how his team is shaping the future of research by combining human expertise with cutting-edge digital solutions.

 

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How did you make the decision to come to Springer Nature?

As a researcher and technologist, I’ve always believed in the power of science, research, and innovation to drive transformative change across industries and fuel societal progress. Springer Nature’s mission—to be part of progress and support global research communities to drive groundbreaking discoveries —resonated deeply with me. I was particularly excited about the opportunity to leverage technology and AI to accelerate this mission, and I saw great potential in bringing my passion and experience to help drive this transformation.

What was your path within our Group?

I joined Springer Nature in 2022 as Chief Solutions Officer, leading our products, platforms, and services that millions of researchers rely on every day. In 2023, I was appointed Chief Publishing Officer and joined the management board, tasked with ensuring the sustainable growth of our trusted brands. The past three years have been an exhilarating journey of progress. Working alongside a passionate and diverse team, we’ve made remarkable strides: transitioning to over 50% open-access content, publishing more than one million articles aligned with the SDGs to drive societal impact, and embedding AI and technology responsibly into our operations. By blending cutting-edge innovation with human expertise, we’ve strengthened our mission to serve global research communities and be part of progress.

What are the big opportunities ahead for you and your team?

I see an ocean of opportunities for us to – (a) Open science and research to present transformative possibilities, making it more equitable and inclusive by publishing incremental findings and negative results and sharing data and code to enhance reproducibility. (b) By fostering global communities of researchers in our digital platforms, we can enable unprecedented collaboration to solve the world´s urgent challenges. (c) Additionally, leveraging AI and technology will allow us to create a seamless experience for our communities and publish trusted research with the highest integrity standards. With our trusted brands, platforms, and services, we are poised to revolutionize the researcher experience and accelerate progress.

What do you love about working at Springer Nature?

What I love most about working at Springer Nature is the incredible people and the inspiring mission we share. First, my colleagues—passionate, driven, and from diverse backgrounds—are united by their dedication to advancing discovery and driving societal progress. Their energy and commitment make every day exciting and meaningful. Second, working here gives me a front-row seat to transformational discoveries across disciplines. It’s deeply rewarding to witness groundbreaking research unfold and know that we play a role in amplifying its impact. Together, we’re not just supporting researchers; we’re shaping the future of science and innovation.

What advice do you have for job seekers looking to join as part of the Group?

I encourage passionate, curious, and ambitious individuals to join us in driving progress. At Springer Nature, you’ll find an innovative, global environment where you’ll work alongside inspiring colleagues to support researchers, clinicians, and educators in addressing the world’s most significant challenges. You can learn more on our career site.

Ellen

 

Manager of Strategic Projects and M&A, Holtzbrinck

 

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Ellen gives insight into the world of M&A at Holtzbrinck, sharing how strategic projects, international collaboration, and a strong team culture shape her journey and impact across the group.

 

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What is your name and what do you do at Holtzbrinck?

My name is Ellen Schrade, and I work as a Manager of Strategic Projects and M&A at Holtzbrinck. In this role, together with my team, I support a wide range of group-wide strategic M&A transactions - whether that involves acquisitions, divestitures, or investments.

More specifically, I assist in evaluating opportunities, managing due diligence processes, and coordinating with both internal teams and external advisors. From analyzing financial models to preparing decision-making materials, my role offers a lot of variety and allows me to contribute to projects that have a significant strategic impact on the group.

What was your path within our Group?

My journey at Holtzbrinck began in 2019 with an internship in Controlling and Strategy during my studies. I was lucky to be selected to join the Holtzbrinck INSIDE MEDIA program following my internship, allowing me to stay engaged with Holtzbrinck throughout my academic journey.

After completing my master’s in finance at ESADE in Barcelona, I officially joined Holtzbrinck in early 2023 as an International Trainee in Strategy, Finance & Investments. The program offered a unique opportunity to rotate through four departments over two years, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the group’s operations and strategy.

My first rotation was in the Investment and M&A department in Munich, where I quickly discovered my passion for the fast-paced, dynamic nature of M&A work. I particularly enjoyed the collaborative environment and the chance to work closely with experts across teams and divisions.

When an opportunity to join the M&A team full-time as an Analyst arose in October 2023, I decided to leave the trainee program early and fully commit to this exciting position, which to me was the perfect next step in my career at Holtzbrinck.

What has been the most important project for you and your team so far?

During my time at Holtzbrinck so far, I have had the opportunity to work on two major projects – the sale of Labguru (BioData) to Battery Ventures and the IPO of Springer Nature. While smaller projects can also be highly important and impactful, these two transactions have undoubtedly been the most significant during my time in the M&A team.

What made these experiences particularly memorable was how different and unique they were. Each project came with its own challenges and opportunities, requiring tailored strategies and approaches. I especially enjoyed working closely with different teams within the group and at the subsidiaries, aligning diverse perspectives and expertise to bring these projects to successful conclusions.

What are the big opportunities ahead for you and your team?

There’s always something new on the horizon - whether it’s investment opportunities or exciting strategic projects. What I particularly enjoy about this role is the dynamic and somewhat unpredictable nature of the projects. Each transaction is unique which keeps things both exciting and fulfilling.

Internally, we are currently working on rolling out a group-wide M&A Framework, which will help streamline and enhance M&A processes across divisions within the Holtzbrinck cosmos. I’m looking forward to seeing its impact across the group.

What do you love about working in the M&A team at Holtzbrinck?

What I love most about being part of the M&A team at Holtzbrinck is the perfect balance between a fast-paced, dynamic work environment and a supportive team culture. Everyone is deeply collaborative and fosters an atmosphere where knowledge-sharing is the norm, and everyone is genuinely invested in each other’s success. From the very beginning, I was entrusted with meaningful responsibilities, which fostered a deep sense of trust and empowerment. This creates an ideal setting for both professional growth and personal development and to me is truly special at Holtzbrinck.

Being part of a relatively small team allows me to engage with transactions from start to finish. This comprehensive involvement offers invaluable experience and contributes to a steep learning curve. Additionally, the constant interdisciplinary and international collaboration with colleagues from various departments, business units, and countries adds another layer of enrichment, immensely broadening my perspective with every project.

Holtzbrinck’s broader culture – with its long-term vision and commitment to innovation – creates a strong sense of purpose in our work. Knowing that every project we do contributes to shaping the future of the group makes the work especially meaningful. The combination of working with talented professionals and contributing to impactful projects is what makes this experience truly rewarding.

Thorsten

 

Senior Manager Group Sustainability, Holtzbrinck

 

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Thorsten and the Group Sustainability Team drive the development of sustainability management.

 

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What is your name and what do you do at Holtzbrinck?

My name is Thorsten Zeunert, and I work as the Group Sustainability Manager for the Holtzbrinck holding company. Our team's primary task is to strategically embed sustainability across the entire group of companies and to advise our Holtzbrinck colleagues worldwide on the operational implementation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.

Why did you decide to join Holtzbrinck?

After spending several years in food retail, I was indeed looking for a new challenge within the sustainability field. The unique product portfolio at Holtzbrinck immediately captured my interest. From a sustainability perspective, I find the blend of classic physical products—such as books and newspapers—with cutting-edge digital innovations particularly compelling. However, what profoundly convinced me, is the fact that Holtzbrinck is a company deeply committed to shaping a better future for the next generation, actively supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its business models in publishing, education, and scientific information. That certainly made a difference.

What are you and your team working on?

Currently, our team is actively engaged in advancing our corporate sustainability management framework. We are directing systematic strategic and operational efforts toward generating tangible impact, and importantly, enabling and connecting people across all our global operations. A significant portion of our work also involves proactively preparing for new regulations, such as the upcoming EU requirements for sustainability reporting.

What is the most important project for you and your team so far?

A cornerstone for Holtzbrinck’s future sustainability management has certainly been our materiality analysis. This was an essential project designed to identify our core focus areas and priorities for Holtzbrinck's sustainability work. We thoroughly assessed facts and insights from a range of internal and external experts to pinpoint what truly matters most for our Group. The outcomes of this analysis are fundamental for developing our overarching sustainability strategy and will help to shape our future external reporting.

What projects are you looking forward to?

I am particularly looking forward to working with the many great experts in our Group on innovative solutions that will make our products and processes as sustainable as possible. Climate action remains a paramount focus area for us, and Holtzbrinck already boasts numerous decarbonization projects underway that we are collectively advancing. Our ambition is very clear: We aim to contribute meaningfully to fulfilling the goals of the Paris Agreement and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as we can. In practical terms, this means we must avoid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within our value chains as much as possible, and then ensure that any remaining, truly unavoidable emissions are permanently removed from the atmosphere.

What do you particularly appreciate about working at Holtzbrinck and in the ESG area?

Since joining Holtzbrinck, I've been profoundly impressed by our colleagues’ deep interest in sustainability and their strong drive to make a difference. We have established vibrant internal networks and initiatives where many employees voluntarily participate, and I really enjoy cultivating new ideas and approaches in such a collaborative environment. The ESG field itself is incredibly dynamic—new topics are always emerging, which keeps the work consistently exciting

What recommendations would you give to people who want to get involved in the field of ESG - both professionally and professionally?

You know, in both your personal and professional life, numerous avenues now exist to engage with and inform oneself about sustainability. I think a solid starting point is to pinpoint your own interests and aspirations within sustainability. For instance, if you want to understand your personal environmental footprint, a straightforward and effective first step is to use one of the many readily available online calculators. That initial insight can be quite powerful. From there, you can then explore specific information sources, sustainable products, professional networks, or even community initiatives that truly align with what you're passionate about. And don't forget, most larger companies now have dedicated sustainability contacts who can offer some very valuable initial guidance.

Megan

 

Senior Vice President and Publisher, Flatiron Books, Macmillan

 

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Megan shares her journey, the exciting launch of a new imprint, and what makes Macmillan an inspiring place to work.

 

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How did you make the decision to come to Macmillan?

I had a newborn at home and a job I really liked, so on paper it did not seem like the time to make a change. But I was intrigued by the idea of joining a dynamic, relatively new division like Flatiron and heartened by the way Macmillan approached growing as a company relative to its industry peers. Once I really thought about it, joining Macmillan was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.

What was your path within our Group?

I came to Macmillan a little over five years ago as SVP & Publisher with responsibility for overseeing Flatiron's editorial team and in particular building our stable of repeating fiction authors. But I also found the talented team here--including the sales force and audio division--to be ideal partners in publishing high quality nonfiction, so I got to work on expanding our staff in that area. My job now as EVP & Publisher includes oversight of all of Flatiron's day-to-day operations across departments.

What are the big opportunities ahead for you and your team?

2025 is going to be an exciting year for Flatiron! We have a major opportunity with the launch of the Pine & Cedar imprint, led by VP & Publisher Christine Kopprasch, who is an editor with an extraordinary eye for beautifully written, plot-driven fiction, and its lead title KING OF ASHES by bestselling author S.A. Cosby. I am also tremendously excited to see all the creative energy generated by our newly integrated marketing and publicity staff bear fruit.

What do you love about working at Macmillan?

The values of Macmillan and the larger Holtzbrinck organization are really felt at every level here, in terms of how we get big things done as well as what everyday tasks and interactions are like. My colleagues are some of the smartest, most creative and inspiring people I've ever met. And finally--I think our books are the best!

What advice do you have for job seekers looking to join as part of the group?

Read widely, and remember that there are many different roles that go into the successful publication of a book and every single one of them is important.

Rocco

 

Manager Books Publishing Solutions, Springer Nature

 

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Rocco reports on challenging AI projects at the heart of a career.

 

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What is your name and what do you do at Springer Nature?

My name is Rocco Raso and I am a Manager of Book Publishing Solutions at Springer Nature. My primary role involves the implementation of new strategies to improve and innovate academic publishing processes, with an emphasis on content innovation and book acquisition processes. My area of expertise lies in AI integration and I work on numerous interdisciplinary AI projects, mainly in the fields of natural language processing, augmented and virtual reality, and business intelligence. Since the beginning of my professional journey at Springer Nature in 2021, I have been focusing on large language models, testing and evaluating GPT-based technologies for our use cases.

Why did you decide to join Springer Nature?

I decided to join Springer Nature because of my positive experience collaborating with the company in the framework of the Software Campus Program when I was a researcher at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). This was a highly rewarding experience, as it allowed me to learn a lot and to work on a highly engaging project, together with industry experts. Since I was impressed and already familiar with Springer Nature's vision, values, and corporate culture, it felt like a natural fit for me. I have always been passionate about scholarly communication, and Springer Nature's dedication to driving change in the publishing industry aligned with my personal values. Joining Springer Nature gave me the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing evolution of academic publishing while being able to work on cutting-edge AI projects.

What are you and your team working on?

At the moment, the main focus of my activities is the evaluation, testing and integration of GPT-technology for our internal use cases. Apart from working on numerous GPT-related projects, I'm also managing the development of an internal software solution to support our editors throughout the entire book acquisition process. This tool includes a system that offers personalized recommendations for each step of the process, as well as extra features for improved data management. This project offers an exciting space for testing new technologies and new approaches for integrating AI into existing processes. We also cooperate very closely with book editors, who are the primary users of the software solutions designed by my team. This helps us identify areas with innovation potential within our internal processes so that we can co-develop prototypes and proof-of-concepts for new software solutions.

What was the most important project for you and your team so far? Why?

My experience at Springer Nature was a crescendo of interesting projects, so that I have the feeling that the most important project is always the next one! Thus, I would say that my most important project is a project I am currently working on, which is at its initial phase. In March 2023, we conceived a semi-automated process for writing academic books using GPT-4. We tested our approach in cooperation with three authors and we were able to write one of the first hybrid books in German, which is completely machine generated and human reviewed. In particular, unlike many similar GPT projects, we paid special attention to the evaluation of the outcome, including constant feedback and reviewing loops within the process. The German TV channel 3sat NANO and the Frankfurter Allgemeiner Zeitung reported about our experience here:

https://www.3sat.de/wissen/nano/230330-sendung-mit-dem-hyperloop-in-die-zukunft-schweben-nano-100.html

https://zeitung.faz.net/faz/unternehmen/2023-04-04/wenn-chatgpt-ein-fachbuch-schreibt/879285.html

This was the peak of a long research process that we started about one year ago and the beginning of a completely new journey, because with that experience we better understood the potential of this approach and the limitations of some of our first assumptions. So, we started a new, ambitious project for automating the process and we already have a first prototype. I really look forward to future developments!

What topics are you already looking forward to?

We find ourselves on the eve of an Artificial Intelligence revolution, which is propelled by the recent advancements in GPT technology. I am very excited and grateful to be a part of this epochal change. While GPT is well-known for its capabilities in generating and editing textual content, I believe its untapped potential lies in processing code and structured data. Therefore, I really look forward to the exploration of GPT for these purposes. One related aspect that particularly intrigues me is the optimization of processes with GPT. Using this technology, we can better understand and streamline workflows. GPT's ability to process structured data can help in extracting valuable insights and knowledge from our datasets, helping us to learn from our data more effectively and make data-driven decisions with higher accuracy. By uncovering previously hidden patterns and trends in data, we can make better predictions, solve complex problems, and drive innovation across various fields.

What do you particularly appreciate about working at Springer Nature and in the area of Content Innovation?

One of the key aspects that I truly appreciate about working at Springer Nature is the fact that we have a very good environment for experimenting and testing new approaches and new technologies. I work on finding new solutions for real use cases which sometimes are very complex. This is very exciting, and it enables me to exercise my creativity on a daily basis. I think that this creative flexibility drives our success as a company and also encourages us, as individuals, to grow professionally by embracing new challenges. Another aspect that I genuinely value is the diversity of my colleagues. Springer Nature is a large company, I have colleagues from all over the world and everyone brings a unique perspective and set of skills to our work.

James

 

Chief Operating Officer, Pan Macmillan

 

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James on agile working and changing roles at Pan Macmillan.

 

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How did you make the decision to come to Pan Macmillan?

I had been aware of the Macmillan group as a reader and through my education in South Africa and I wanted to pursue a career in publishing. When I moved from Johannesburg to London, the Macmillan graduate recruitment scheme was the first application I made - I did not even get an interview! Happily, a few years later, an opportunity to join Pan Macmillan arose.

What was your path within our Group?

I joined Nature Publishing Group in 2005 as a project manager on nature.com. This was a fascinating time to join the group as nature.com was being redeveloped on a new platform, new journals and products were launching rapidly, and the site license business was growing.

I then began discussing a redevelopment of the Pan Macmillan website, with Sara Lloyd, and the potential for digital publishing in the trade publishing area. I spent a year on secondment to Pan Macmillan and then transitioned to a permanent role in digital development.

At Pan Macmillan, my roles have focused on transformation, from websites to ebooks and digital publishing, to analytics and strategy and now publishing operations. In my current role as Publishing Operations Director, I'm responsible for our production, logistics, business processes, data and technology and the Smithson office.

What are the big opportunities ahead for you and your team?

Understanding and shaping how we need to work in 2021 and beyond will be an opportunity for us. Last year, we moved into our new offices in the Smithson, which are designed for agile working and it will be interesting to see how we need to adapt further for the post-Covid world. In lockdown, our engagement with the virtual environment, in the form of the Google Suite and other tools, has taken a leap forward. The opportunity for us now is to build on that change and increase our skills in the virtual environment across the company.

We also have a fantastic publishing program for 2021 lined up, so my team will be working hard to support all areas of the business in achieving great success for the publishing.

What do you love about working at Pan Macmillan?

That's an easy question to answer: the people and the books!

What advice do you have for job seekers looking to join as part of the group?

The wonderful thing about the group is that there is such a wide range of publishing, markets and technology that you could be involved in during your career. From scientific journals to AI development to global education to the Gruffalo, there is something for everyone. Also, importantly, the culture in the group is creative, nurturing and friendly, making it a happy place to work.

Mona

 

Program Manager, Kiepenheuer & Witsch

 

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Mona is not only a program manager, but also a bookfluencer on Instagram.

 

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Who are you and what do you do at KiWi?

I've been working for the publishing house Kiepenheuer & Witsch for 11 years and as program manager I'm responsible for international literature. But I'm also very lucky to be able to work with some German authors.

What do you do on Instagram and why?

I've been recommending books on my Instagram channel for about two years. It all started at Christmas, when I thought: before I keep answering individual text messages from friends and acquaintances about which book they should give their aunt for Christmas, why don't I do it in a semi-public way for my friends on Instagram, so they can all benefit from it? That took on a life of its own and today a lot of people watch when I recommend books. It's not an extra job for me, but a kind of by-product of my life: I like to read a lot in my private life. And professionally, of course, I want to stay up to date. That's why I read a lot of books (not all of them from cover to cover, to be honest) and can recommend a lot - not only books by Kiwi, of course.

How do you choose the books you read and feature on your Instagram account?

When I read something I totally like, I post it and try to explain very briefly and as low key (and funny) as possible what kind of book it is and who might like it. No long synopsis, no long review. Chop-chop.

What values and mission of KiWi resonate most with you as a literary influencer?

Books are for everyone. I don't judge whether someone reads literature, a crime novel, romance or a guidebook. I read all of it myself and just basically look at what entertains me cleverly or where I can learn something that really interests me. I believe that reading should be de-academicized - there are no books you must have read or discourses you must know in order to be a reader. It has been proven that people who read a lot are more empathetic. That's a world-changing insight.

Erik

 

Director of Advertising & Audience Development, St. Martin's Publishing Group at Macmillan

 

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Erik delves into the strategies behind building communities around authors and genres, driving engagement and awareness while embracing new tools like AI in publishing.

 

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What is your name and what do you do?

My name is Erik, and I am the Director of Advertising & Audience Development at St. Martin's Publishing Group for Macmillan US.

What are you focusing on currently?

Community building and audience development are such vital parts of our marketing and advertising strategy at St. Martin’s Publishing Group, something that I tackle on a daily basis. Whether it’s adding our voice to the ever-growing #BookTok community and conversation, building bespoke communities around our individual authors and their fanbases, growing our in-house and out-of-house influencer programs, or building sub-communities around our various imprints and genres like our History vertical, Romance, Crime Fiction, YA, etc., we’re constantly aiming to create engaging content that speaks directly to each audience.

What impact does audience development have on the success of your books?

Ultimately, all of this work across email, social media, and advertising leads to the goal of generating more awareness and pre-orders for our books before publication, explosive sales at publication, and extended sales long after publication. We feel that the more we can build lifelong fans of authors and our verticals, the better we can speak directly to them. Additionally, by building first-party targetable audiences for advertising, we strengthen our position as a publisher.

What topic are you already looking forward to?

I’m fascinated by the application of AI in our publishing processes and I know this will be a launch pad for many of us as we begin to dip our toes and learn more about how we can best ethically harness and make use of it.

What do you value most about collaborating with global colleagues within Holtzbrinck?

The newfound global collaboration supported by Holtzbrinck has been a highlight of my career and a major advancement for all our work across digital marketing. Whether we’re sharing TikTok case studies and comparing notes in our new Short Form Video Forum, sparking innovation through activities like our Short Form Video Challenge, catching up over lunch or presenting breakthroughs at the Innovation Days, or just feeling more free to chat with colleagues across the globe, we’re all better marketers and advertisers because of it. Now, we all have a better understanding of each publisher’s individual goals and challenges, while also maintaining a global Holtzbrinck perspective on the entire business. It’s truly inspiring and absolutely leads to camaraderie and innovation!

Tim

 

Senior Data Scientist, Digital Science

 

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Tim discusses how his work with large language models and AI is simplifying the complexity of research for scientists, enabling them to focus on impactful discovery.

 

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What is your name, and what is your role at Digital Science?

My name is Tim, and I work at Digital Science as part of the Innovations team. Currently, I focus on using large language models (LLMs) and AI to support biomedical researchers and customers by developing advanced research tools.

What inspired you to join Digital Science, and what do you enjoy most about your job?

I discovered Digital Science during my PhD in Applied AI, where I participated in a Software Campus project with Holtzbrinck. This project, in collaboration with Springer Nature, aimed to enhance textbooks by generating questions based on their content.

At Digital Science, I get to combine my scientific curiosity and expertise to create AI-based tools that tackle the challenges researchers face. It’s incredibly rewarding to contribute to solutions that enable scientists to focus on the meaningful aspects of their research.

What challenges do scientists face?

Scientists encounter numerous demands in their daily work because science is both awesome and inherently complex. They immerse themselves in meaningful problems while simultaneously keeping track of ever-changing research landscapes, writing grant proposals, and communicating results to diverse audiences, including peers, laypeople, and policymakers. This multifaceted workload demands tremendous cognitive resources, making their work both rewarding and demanding.

How does your work at Digital Science support researchers?

Artificial Intelligence, applied responsibly,  plays a crucial role in helping researchers manage the complexity of their work. For example, AI can recommend emergent and related research topics or assist in tailoring documents for audiences such as laypeople or grant committees. These tools reduce cognitive load and create new possibilities for approaching scientific challenges. And In turn, researchers can focus more on the core aspects of their research.

Sara

 

Group Communications Director & Global AI Lead, Pan Macmillan

 

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From digital pioneer to AI lead – Sara shares how embracing change shaped her journey across three decades at Macmillan.

 

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How did you make the decision to come to Pan Macmillan?

In 2006, heavily pregnant with my third child, I was in a Macmillan group meeting about how the various areas of the business were moving towards a more digital future. Inevitably, consumer books seem to be changing in this direction, and the Managing Director of Pan Macmillan said he believed he needed a leader to help Pan Macmillan prepare for this change. Soon afterwards I wrote a short E-mail to apply for this job. A few days later we agreed on the terms of my employment, and I began my career at Pan Macmillan. Something I have always treasured about working at Macmillan has been the company's ability to listen, to be personal, to be creative and to take risks on people. I think it's something that engenders a lot of loyalty. I started my first job at Pan Macmillan in a role that had never existed before, that I was invited to shape for myself, and with a month to go until I was to have a baby. I know how lucky I am to work somewhere prepared to take that kind of punt on me. I've worked across the group in a great many diverse roles for over 31 years now!

What was your path within our Group?

In 1993 I joined the group in the sales and marketing department of Macmillan Reference, where I was thrown in at the deep end running every aspect of the marketing and publicity of some of our oldest and most prestigious major works of reference at the time. I worked extensively setting up new distributors for our encyclopedias around the world. I was 22 and had no sales or marketing qualification or experience: I just learned on the job, and somehow found my way, with the help of enormously generous, kind and lovely colleagues. It was the time of encyclopedias​ (pre-Internet, pre-mobile: yes, I am a dinosaur!) and I developed curiosity about how these massive printed works might one day find their way into new innovative formats. I had started receiving letters from readers of the encyclopedia, asking whether we'd consider putting their contents onto disc or CD. I spoke to my bosses about it and started to explore ideas. A short time after that Macmillan set up a consumer-CD-ROM-publishing division and I became the Marketing Manager. Thanks to my brilliant boss and the creative energy of the team around me I developed fast and my interest in the digital future started to become an obsession. After this I worked in several roles across the group, imagining new business models, creating new products and web services, and finding new ways to engage with customers online. I have worked at Nature, where amongst other things I worked on launching its first ever online journal, for Macmillan Reference, where I led the development of web versions of major reference publications and also for the Academic and Education divisions as a Publisher. But it was the chance to work for Pan Macmillan, and return to my passion of helping publishing businesses find their way into a digital future, that brought me back to consumer publishing. At Pan Macmillan, I have held roles including Digital Publishing Director, Communications Director, and now Group Communications Director and Global AI Lead.

What are the big opportunities ahead for you and your team?

Gosh! There is so much for us to do and we occupy such exciting times. There has been an enormous amount of change in the industry, and as a company we've embraced the opportunities of digital wholeheartedly - I'm really proud of the role I've played in that - but I'm also thrilled that books in all their formats have proven so resilient. In that context, I am incredibly excited and stimulated by my current role, which is situated at the heart of our biggest new opportunity but also the most significant challenge I think we have ever faced: how we should navigate and embrace the possibilities of GenAI. In my role I never have two days the same: I lead our AI strategy, devise and steer our global AI governance, drive AI development projects and manage our internal and external engagement around AI. I think I have never been so motivated to ensure we ride a change successfully. It is a huge responsibility which I take very seriously.

What do you love about working at Pan Macmillan?

First and foremost, it's all about two things: the books, and the people. It's in the company DNA. I remind myself how lucky I am, every day, to go to work with people I adore, from my wonderful colleagues to our incredible authors and illustrators, and I get to spend my time reading and talking about books, and now working out, with the additional support of AI tools, how we can get more of them into more people's hands - it's the dream. When people talk about the 'Pan Mac Family', that's the perfect description. The collaborative energy and the friendliness of the place is like nothing else; it's just a very special culture.

What advice do you have for job seekers looking to join as part of the group?

This place has buckets of personality, an appetite for change and a will to continually improve. I've never worked anywhere more ambitious for itself and for its people. You can bring your whole person to work here and if you want to change something for the better, people will listen and things will happen. If that sounds good to you, go for it. As we seek to be the best representatives we can of the society we serve, I'd also like to encourage people with transferable skills, who haven't necessarily worked in publishing before but have a great passion for books and reading, to give it a shot!

Nestor

 

Global Head of Operations, Springer Nature

 

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Néstor shares how he’s driving innovation and sustainability in AI systems, balancing technological advancements with human-centered and ethical practices to transform academic publishing.

 

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What is your name and what do you do?

I’m Néstor, Global Head of Operations at Springer Nature. My responsibilities include driving the implementation and support of innovation and governance frameworks across the company.

What opportunities and challenges do you see in AI?

One of the greatest opportunities is the ability to reclaim valuable time for colleagues, customers, and partners in science, allowing them to foster innovation and delve deeper into their academic work. This transformation has the potential to accelerate human development like never before. However, the main challenge lies in achieving this progress sustainably and responsibly while ensuring respect for every individual on the planet.

What motivates you in developing AI systems?

My aspirations are not only to create the most sustainable, human-centered, and customer-centric AI systems for academic publishing but also to do so in a way that positions us as pioneers in the field. I aim to establish new benchmarks for how such systems can be responsibly developed, implemented, and guided, ensuring they not only serve their purpose effectively but also inspire others to follow ethical and innovative practices in AI.

What excites you most about your work at Springer Nature?

In the past, when leading transformations, I could rely on established methods or refer to books that outlined proven approaches. Now, however, we are venturing into uncharted territory where such guides don’t yet exist. We are effectively writing the book for the future, shaping the standards and practices for generations to come. Being part of this transformative journey, where every step is a step into innovation, is incredibly inspiring.