Faber appoints Jones to new commercial director role as Emmanus and Park join board

Faber has appointed Bonnie Jones as commercial director while Brenda Emmanus and Milyae Park have been made non-executive directors of its board – a move that sees non-shareholders take up board positions for the first time.

All three new directors will join the company’s June meeting. Jones will be taking up the newly created role, overseeing the areas of inventory management, legal and rights, as well as financial and commercial affairs.

She studied modern languages and literature before joining KPMG and moving to Germany. She qualified as a chartered accountant while at KPMG, auditing Faber and other publishing and media companies and charities. She has since worked as a finance director for a number of years. 

“I have always admired Faber immensely,” she said. “The company has had a phenomenal few years and it is a fantastic time to be joining this ambitious and passionate team.”

Mary Cannam, Faber’s m.d., added: “I’m delighted that Bonnie will be joining the executive team in the summer. She will bring considerable high-level financial experience from a range of different businesses, combined with a passion for literature and for Faber in particular. We will benefit from her perspective and insight. Faber is a very special company, and we are looking forward to welcoming Bonnie into our executive team.”

Emmanus is a broadcaster and journalist who has worked mainly at the BBC for 20 years. She is currently chair of the board of trustees for Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Dance Company, sits on the editorial board of the Royal Academy Magazine, is editorial and content consultant for Sonia Friedman Productions, a director of Free Spirit Productions and a patron of the National Black Women’s Network. She continues to create and present documentaries for television. In 2019 she received an OBE for services to broadcasting and diversity, and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts.

“I am genuinely excited about joining the board of this inspiring independent publishing house,” Emmanus said. “I am looking forward to being a part of its journey as Faber embraces social and technological changes and remains an advocate of innovation and excellence in its field.”

Park is currently a non-executive director at Fidelity European Trust and the Museum of London, where she also chairs the museum’s trading board and sits on the brand and digital steering groups. Her career has spanned roles in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street, including as a business development director and a commercial director at Tesco. She has also worked as the director for Europe at Marks & Spencer, and as an entrepreneur and c.e.o. at luxury fashion companies. Her work includes advocacy for sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, serving in many roles including being a mentor for BT’s Ethnic Diversity Personal Advisory Council.

She said: “I am honoured to be joining the board of Faber, a company that is rich in both artistic history and modern values. I am very much looking forward to working together with the rest of the board and the team in ushering Faber through ambitious times.”

Cannam added: “I am excited that Milyae and Brenda will be joining the Faber board. I’m very much looking forward to working with them, and benefiting from their considerable expertise and experience."

Stephen Page, executive chair and former m.d. at Faber, commented: “We are delighted that Brenda and Milyae are joining our board as non-executive directors. Each in their own individual way brings a wealth of experience and new perspectives that will help us develop Faber ambitiously over the coming years. There is a great deal of change in both the media and technology worlds, and we believe that it is important for us to bring new skills and knowledge into the company. We’re extremely pleased to be adding such brilliant and expert people to our board.”