Pan Macmillan publicity director Philippa McEwan retires after 45-year career

Pan Macmillan’s publicity director Philippa ‘Pips’ McEwan is set to retire at the end of August, after a 45-year career in publishing.

Philippa started her career at Phillimore & Co as a graduate trainee before joining George Allen & Unwin as press officer. She also spent time at Simon & Schuster and then joined Pan, as it was, in 1989 as publicity manager (before divisions were restructured in 1990 and Pan Macmillan was officially formed). During her time at Pan Macmillan, Pippa has worked across imprints including Sidgwick & Jackson, Picador, Mantle and Macmillan.

Over the years McEwan has worked with names including Dick Francis, Lynda La Plante, Sue Grafton, Max Hastings, Kenneth Clarke, Dame Floella Benjamin, Eddie Jaku and Jack Straw, and more recently with authors including Jeremy Bowen, Ken Follett, Robert Hardman and the late C J Sansom. 

Claire Evans, communications director at Pan, said: "We will miss Philippa tremendously in the Pan Communications team—her warmth, her sense of humour, her flawless dress sense and particularly her excellent anecdotes. Pips sets a benchmark for collaboration with her editorial, sales and comms colleagues and for second to none author care."

Lucy Hale, managing director of Pan Macmillan’s Pan imprint, said: "Pips’ contribution to Pan Macmillan, and her 35 years at the company, cannot be understated. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with her from my early days at Pan up until the present day and, during all of that time, she has upheld the highest standards of author care and professionalism executing some landmark brilliant campaigns. I, and the whole team at Pan Macmillan, will miss her enormously." Philippa’s last day will be this Thursday, 29th August 2024. She can be reached on philippa.mcewan@btinternet.com going forward.