HarperCollins promotes Bates to associate publisher

HarperCollins' sales and marketing director Nick Bates has been promoted to associate publisher, as one of three promotions with its sales and Harlequin teams.

Bates will have responsibility for design, marketing and PR for both HQ and Mills & Boon, as well as for publishing operations.

Further promotions see JP Hunting promoted to sales director for Harlequin, having worked at HarperCollins for over seven years, latterly as head of children’s sales. Hunting will report to group sales director Oliver Wright and will work closely with executive publisher Lisa Milton and the HQ and Mills & Boon teams. The children’s division will be recruiting a new head of UK Sales.

Anna Derkacz has been appointed to the role of sales director for fiction, non-fiction and Avon. Derkacz joined HarperCollins from Penguin Random House in 2015 on a fixed-term contract, originally to cover maternity leave for Laura Fletcher who decided to leave in October last year. Derkacz has now been formally confirmed in her new role.

Wright said: “I’m delighted to announce these new roles for both JP and Anna – both are hugely talented and have excelled in working with our sales and publishing teams, as well as with our customers and authors. I look forward to seeing them and their teams go from strength to strength.”

Milton said: “Nick has played a very significant role in the Harlequin integration - with a very wide remit and myriad responsibilities, he has been at the heart of our successful transition in every area. As Harlequin develops, we need to expand our team, and by making Nick our associate publisher and JP our new sales director, we are shaping ourselves for ongoing success. I’m very excited to see how they both develop their new roles.”