McCann recruited as Ladybird publisher

Jackie McCann, previously editorial director for Campbell Books at Macmillan Children’s Books, is moving to Penguin Random House Children’s to take on the role of publisher at Ladybird.

McCann will be responsible for commissioning new publishing at Ladybird, drive a refresh of its backlist and look at new digital developments. She will also develop the ‘vintage Ladybird’ publishing strand.

Francesca Dow, m.d. for Penguin Random House Children’s, said: “This is a key new appointment for our business which signals our excitement and ambition for Ladybird and its role in shaping and driving the children’s pre-school market.”

McCann’s appointment follows a reorganisation of the Ladybird team in April that saw Shannon Cullen take on the role of publishing director and Kate Head become publisher for education and international.

Cullen said: “I am very excited about Jackie’s appointment at Ladybird, the leading pre-school publishing brand in the market. Her proven commercial acumen and thorough understanding of the consumer landscape means she is perfectly placed to join our highly creative team and bring freshness, innovation and playfulness to this much-loved brand. We look forward to surprising children and parents with some exciting new trade publishing and brand development work, alongside expanding the impressive program that Kate Heald and her team have launched for our education and international customers.”

According to PRH, sales for Ladybird were up year-on-year in 2015, totalling £9.8m through Nielsen’s Bookscan’s TCM top 5,000.

McCann will take up the position on 12th September and will recruit an editor for trade publishing.