Antonia Seymour, CEO of IOP Publishing, has been elected to the position of President of the Publishers Association. Antonia succeeds Nigel Newton, CEO and Founder of Bloomsbury, who remains an Officer of the Publishers Association.
The Presidency transferred at the Publishers Association’s Annual General Meeting, which was held at the Science Gallery London, on 25th April 2023. Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier Books UK, has been elected to the position of Publishers Association Vice-President and Treasurer.
The newly elected President has highlighted three key messages for the UK publishing industry. Speaking at the PA's annual general meeting, Seymour emphasized the importance of publishers and the need to promote the industry to the wider public.
Seymour's first message was that publishers matter and that the work they do has a purpose. She stressed the need to make sure everyone else knows that too. As an example, Seymour pointed out that if the UK government wants to be a science superpower, they need to be aware of the thriving UK publishing industry that can help them achieve that goal.
Her second message was that the industry needs an industry value proposition that excites people from all walks of life to want to work in publishing. Seymour urged the industry to set out its stall and make it clear that publishing is an industry open to everyone.
Finally, Seymour emphasized the importance of the PA as a platform for the UK publishing community to speak with a single voice on issues that matter to all of them. She stressed that this would give the industry the best chance of being heard by the government and other key parties, and help ensure its rightful place as an indispensable partner in the knowledge economy.
The UK publishing industry directly employs 50,000 people and supports more. Seymour's messages are a call to action for the industry to come together and promote itself as a vital part of the UK economy.
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