PRH Enterprises to close, director Jo Edwards to leave

Penguin Random House Enterprises is closing, after PRH admitted it has been unable to turn the unit into a commercially sustainable business. The move has resulted in Jo Edwards, director for PRH Enterprises, leaving the company at the end of the month.

The division, launched in 2012, has been responsible for creating commercial partnerships for PRH's authors and brands, including through licensing and merchandising, TV, online writing courses, the Penguin Live events business and most recently Penguin Shop. 

The restructure, announced to staff by Hannah Telfer, group director for consumer and digital development, on Wednesday (20th September), will now see PRH's focus shift to the Penguin Shop and Penguin Live. The ambition for the latter is for it to become "one of the UK’s leading live events producers," the publisher said.

A PRH spokesperson said: “We can confirm we have decided to close Penguin Random House Enterprises as part of our decision to place a greater focus on growing Penguin Live and the Penguin Shop.”

The Penguin Shop will move into the Audience & Digital Development team under the leadership of its director, Albert Hogan. Penguin Live director Chloë Johnson-Hill meanwhile returns from maternity leave this month and will continue to report in to Telfer. Stef Jarman, who has been running Penguin Live as events director during Johnson-Hill's maternity leave, is staying on until early November. James Robinson, creative events producer, has been taken on full-time, reporting to Johnson-Hill. 

The restructure does not impact the Penguin Ventures team, who continue to lead licensing, consumer products, TV production and retail event strategies on behalf of Penguin Random House Children’s and its brands.

Telfer said in a communication to staff and seen by The Bookseller that it had been a "difficult decision" to make and she would miss Edwards' "fearless determination" in developing new business. She leaves the company on 29th September.

"Despite several successful ventures we have not been able to build Penguin Random House Enterprises into a commercially sustainable business. I have therefore made the difficult decision to close Penguin Random House Enterprises and focus on Penguin Live and the Penguin Shop and, as a result, I’m sorry to say that Jo Edwards, director, Penguin Random House Enterprises will leave the business on Friday 29th September," said Telfer.

"Jo has spearheaded many ambitious and valuable initiatives in her time at Penguin Random House, including the 40,000 ticket tour with Dan & Phil, licensing of Matt Sewell’s Birds, Puffin World of Stories at On Blackheath and OnRoundhay, and The Writers’ Academy online creative writing school with an alumni of over 500 students. I shall miss Jo’s fearless determination in developing new business and great humour. I would like to thank her for her commitment and for being such a pleasure to work with."