Fane appoints Penguin Connect’s Phillips to launch B2B arm

Jonathan Phillips is joining Fane in the newly created role of director of corporate partnerships, as the multi-faceted events company launches a B2B arm. 

He joins the company from Penguin Random House (PRH) where he ran the publisher’s B2B events arm Penguin Connect. PRH confirmed the closure of Penguin Connect last week following Phillips’ departure.

Phillips has 12 years of experience in entrepreneurial and business development roles. He launched PRH’s international education business and is credited with driving sales with major UK accounts such as Tesco and Waterstones. Authors he worked with while heading up Penguin Connect include Bernardine Evaristo, Dr Rangan Chatterjee, James Clear, Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin and Ruby Wax.

Phillips said: “I am overjoyed to be joining the team at Fane, having been an admirer of the brilliant work they do for some time. I firmly believe there is a vast amount of untapped potential across the global corporate landscape for amazing author content – whether this is delivered via curated author speakers, Fane’s expert events production team or through providing books direct to employees. I cannot wait to get started.”

His appointment marks the first senior level hire for Fane since its inception five years ago. It also follows a record year for the business, which now employs a staff of 22 people in the UK and overseas, and reported a 325% rise in turnover to £5.8 million in 2021. 

Alex Fane, m.d. of the company, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jonathan to Fane. As a challenger business, we started with a small but dedicated staff who have progressed through the company to form our leadership team. Since then, thanks to the skill and hard work of our growing staff, we have been able to expand our core offering and business to incorporate a vibrant global events programme, book subscription services and now in-house production within our new offices. 

“We know there is a huge opportunity to develop a fully rounded offer to talent and publishers with the addition of corporate partnerships, and will benefit hugely from Jonathan’s wealth of experience and expertise in this area.”