Global 50 CEO Talk 2024 at Frankfurt
Simon & Schuster's Global Expansion and Digital Transformation Spotlighted at Global 50 CEO Talk 2024
Prominent Guest Speakers, Jonathan Karp, CEO of Simon & Schuster and Richard Sarnoff, Chairman of Media for KKR's Private Equity platform in the Americas to discuss Simon & Schuster’s Strategic Vision and Growth Opportunities at the Frankfurt Book Fair’s Premier Industry Event
The Global 50 CEO Talk 2024, held in partnership with the Frankfurt Book Fair, will take place on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from 14.00 to 15.00 at the International Stage (between halls 4.1 and 5.1). The session will explore the strategic vision of Simon & Schuster, the iconic global publishing company celebrating its 100th anniversary. Jonathan Karp will highlight Simon & Schuster’s evolving role as a global publishing powerhouse, expanding its reach internationally while embracing digital transformation and innovation in publishing.
Simon & Schuster, acquired by KKR in 2023, continues to grow its global footprint, with recent acquisitions of leading Dutch publisher Veen Bosch & Keuning (VBK) and Australian publisher Affirm Press, marking its international ambitions. As the company continues to diversify across print and digital channels, Karp will explore the opportunities and challenges of scaling internationally and how Simon & Schuster is positioning itself for sustained growth.
Richard Sarnoff, Chairman of the Board of Simon & Schuster and long-time KKR investor and former senior publishing industry executive, will provide additional context on Simon & Schuster’s successful transition under new ownership and how the company is poised to lead in both established markets and new growth areas within the evolving publishing landscape.
Jonathan Karp and Richard Sarnoff will be interviewed live on stage by the editors of by Bookdao (PR China), The Bookseller (UK), dpr – Digital Publishing Report (Germany), Livres Hebdo (France) and Publishers Weekly (US) in a conversation moderated by Rüdiger Wischenbart.
The Global 50 CEO Talk is prepared in conjunction with the Global 50 Publishing Ranking, which has mapped the 50 largest publishing corporations each year since 2007. The world’s 50 largest publishing companies included in the latest ranking report generated publishing revenues of over 60 bnEUR (65 bnUSD) in 2023. The ranking has been researched and updated annually since 2007 by Ruediger Wischenbart Content and Consulting.
The Global 50 Ranking and CEO Talk are supported by Bookwire (www.bookwire.de).
The full Global 50 report, with the big list, an analysis and data-rich company profiles will be available as a digital publication of around 250 pages from late September 2024 at www.wischenbart.com/ranking.
About Jonathan Karp:
Jonathan Karp, Chief Executive Officer of Simon & Schuster, leads the company’s numerous publishing groups as well as its international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. Karp first joined Simon & Schuster in June 2010 as publisher of the company’s flagship imprint, and was named President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing in 2018. Prior to joining Simon & Schuster, Karp was Publisher and Editor in Chief of Twelve, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, which he founded in 2005, following his tenure as Editor in Chief of Random House, where he began his publishing career. Karp serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of American Publishers and the Advisory Board of NYU’s Center for Publishing and Applied Literary Arts.
About Richard Sarnoff
Richard Sarnoff, Chairman of the Simon & Schuster Board of Directors, brings a wealth of experience in publishing, media, and education. His illustrious career includes serving as a senior executive and Supervisory Board member at Bertelsmann, where he held leadership roles both at Random House and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments. In addition, Sarnoff served as Chairman of the Association of American Publishers during a key time in the evolution of the publishing industry as it adapted to the growth of eBooks and digital audiobooks. He currently serves as Chairman of Media within KKR’s Americas Private Equity business and in addition to the Simon & Schuster Board currently serves on the Boards of OverDrive, Teaching Strategies, Chegg, AST SpaceMobile, Lightcast, and numerous not-for-profit organizations.
