Viking’s Joel Rickett moves to Ebury

Joel Rickett, publisher for Viking, Portfolio and Penguin Life, is taking up a new role at Penguin Random House as deputy publisher at Ebury.

Rickett will lead the Virgin and WH Allen imprints in his new role, as well as taking on management responsibility for Vermilion where he will work closely with publishing director and imprint head Susanna Abbott. He joins in the summer at a date to be confirmed, succeeding Ed Faulkner who has moved to HarperCollins as publisher for Harper Non-fiction.

Rickett leaves Viking after almost a decade. He joined Viking in 2008 from The Bookseller, and has since published books from authors including Clare Balding, Jennifer Saunders, Susan Cain, the Brownlee brothers and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He launched business books imprint Portfolio in 2010, which has grown to over 30 titles a year, and has also contributed titles to the new Penguin Life list.

He said: “I have loved my time at Viking where I have been lucky to publish many brilliant authors, learn so much, and be part of a close, successful team. They took a chance on me and I hope I have repaid that faith - the lists are in great shape. I now look forward to the new challenge at Ebury, the UK’s largest non-fiction publisher, where I am excited to be leading three major imprints.”

Jake Lingwood, deputy m.d. and publisher of Ebury, said: “We are thrilled to have Joel coming to Ebury – with his great skill as a non-fiction publisher and following his huge success with Portfolio, he is the perfect fit.  We have so often looked admiringly at Joel’s publishing in the past that it’s fantastic to have him working with us now.  The Virgin, WH Allen and Vermilion teams are all excited about working closely with Joel to take their imprints to the next level.”

In the light of Rickett’s move, Penguin General is re-organising its non-fiction teams under Venetia Butterfield. Portfolio is now recruiting for an editorial director to head up the imprint as well as a new editor to work alongside Daniel Crewe and Emily Robertson in commissioning non-fiction for both Viking and Penguin Life.

Joanna Prior, managing director of Penguin General, said “Joel has been a great member of the Penguin General team and a key part of our success story and we will miss him. It is good that he is staying within the Penguin Random House family however and we wish him every success at Ebury.”