Penguin puts Phillips in to head Author Solutions

Penguin has moved Andrew Phillips over to become c.e.o. of self-publishing business Author Solutions.

Phillips, who has worked for the Penguin Group for over 10 years, currently as president of Delhi-based Penguin International, will succeed current c.e.o. Kevin Weiss. Weiss is to take up a new position to be announced separately next week.

Penguin Group chairman and chief executive John Makinson called the development a "bitter-sweet" announcement. "We shall be sorry to lose Kevin, who has provided the stability and clear leadership that Author Solutions needed in the year after our acquisition," he said. "But I always recognised that Kevin would seek fresh pastures in time and that a new chief executive from within Penguin would connect the business more closely to Penguin's curated publishing activities."

He added: "Andrew's impressive range of talents and experience equip him perfectly to extend the international development of Author Solutions, to build on our network of publishing partnerships, and to strengthen the ties with Penguin companies around the world."

Phillips commented: "To my mind, self-publishing is the fastest-growing and most dynamic area of the publishing economy. The launch of Partridge, the first Penguin Author Solutions partnership in India, gave me firsthand experience of the huge opportunities that exist both in developed and emerging markets. I am greatly looking forward to working with the talented Author Solutions team, and all our publishing partners, at this exciting time."

Pearson acquired Author Solutions in July 2012. Partridge, Penguin's new self-publishing imprint in India, launched last February.