Ladybird appoints Gill as publishing director

Leanne Gill has been appointed publishing director at Ladybird, with responsibility for the Ladybird trade publishing business and Ladybird licensing, effective immediately.

Gill will report to Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House (PRH) Children’s. She is currently licensing publisher at the imprint and succeeds Katherine Halligan who has now left the company.

Dow said: "Leanne is respected for her impressive leadership of Ladybird’s market-leading preschool licensing list. She has strong commercial instincts, a deep understanding of the needs of our different markets and excellent management skills. Leanne has impressed me with her focus and leadership, with the brilliantly exciting growth of Bluey and our hugely successful publishing for Peppa and Hey Duggee. I’m excited to see Leanne’s creative thinking and collaborative way of working at play as we look to deliver commercial success to all our Ladybird publishing.” 

Gill said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be the new publishing director for Ladybird. I’ve successfully run our licensing list for some time and have long admired the creative talents of our trade colleagues so I’m excited to work with the wider Ladybird team to make sure that across our listwe really are creating a book for every child everywhere.”