Baggaley promotes Kirschbaum and Hennessey

Bloomsbury has announced a number of promotions within its adult trade senior management team, under the direction of new editor-in-chief Paul Baggaley.

Alexis Kirschbaum (pictured) has been promoted to associate publisher with specific responsibility for the list shape strategy, and will work alongside Baggaley. Kirschbaum has published five Sunday Times bestsellers including Lara Maiklem’s Mudlarking, Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women, Kiley Reid’s Such a Fun Age, Isabel Allende’s A Long Petal of the Sea and Rutger Bregman’s Humankind.

Alison Hennessey, who launched the Raven Books crime imprint, is to become publishing director. She was shortlisted for editor of the year at the Nibbies last year, and Raven Books was shortlisted for Publisher of the Year at the CWA awards.

Two new publishing directors, Rowan Yapp and Emma Herdman, will also join the management team, with Yapp heading the illustration list and Herdman developing a literary and commercial fiction list.

Baggaley, who joined Bloomsbury from Picador earlier this year, said he was "delighted to see the brilliant work of Alexis and Alison recognised in their new roles".

He added: "I believe with Rowan and Emma joining, Bloomsbury’s adult trade list will be a formidable and exciting place for authors and I look forward to developing the strategies to build on its remarkable recent success.

"I also want to express my real appreciation for the support and counsel of my other senior colleagues, executive publisher Alexandra Pringle and publishing director Michael Fishwick, who continue to publish their exciting and high quality fiction and non-fiction lists, as well as giving me priceless guidance on the heritage and culture of the Bloomsbury list."