Hachette UK announces new centralised audio team led by Folland, Gribben and Shrubb

Hachette UK has announced a new, centralised structure for its audio team, led by group rights and audio director, Rebecca Folland, alongside Dominic Gribben and Sarah Shrubb, who have been promoted to audio directors. 

As part of the development strategy for Hachette’s audio format, which the organisation says has seen 81% growth in three years, the current structure has been reshaped to create one central audio team. All existing Hachette UK audio staff have been retained in the restructure, and the central department will continue to be integrated within divisions, creating and producing audio into existing imprints. They will have responsibility over the audiobooks.

Bookouture and Hodder Education will, however, continue to operate with separate teams due to what the organisation terms “their bespoke commercial needs”. Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) and Octopus Publishing Group will be included in the central team with Karen Lawler, head of media rights and audio at HCG, and Melissa Baker, group digital director for Octopus, working with the audio directors on strategy.

In 2020, Hachette UK’s ongoing investment in audio led to the creation of production studios at Carmelite House, which have been expanded twice and are projected to deliver more than 360 titles in 2023 according to the publisher. Hachette said: "A centrally connected team with an in-house production studio will allow for greater collaboration and efficiency and, with audio sales up 10% year to date, the new structure will continue to supercharge Hachette UK’s audio strategy, creation, production and distribution.”

Folland said: “I’m very excited to be working alongside Dom and Sarah to make sure our authors’ work is launched in the most imaginative ways and that we maximise every opportunity for them in this expanding market. I am sure that our newly formed team, bringing together expertise from all parts of the business will deliver a huge amount of ambition and energy to our audio production.”

Gribben said: “I’m delighted to be working alongside Sarah to establish this new team. There’s so much great work being done across Hachette UK on audiobook publishing, and we aim to support and enhance that by centralising our audio publishing talent while continuing to make the most of Hachette’s federal structure.”

Shrubb commented: “Hachette’s audiobooks are best in class, written by some of the best authors in the world, and it’s a privilege to be part of the new audio team, all of whom will play an important role in publishing brilliant ‘ear-catching’ recordings. I’m thrilled at the opportunity to work with Dom to continue developing fantastic audiobook publishing across all of Hachette’s divisions.”