PRH US realigns international sales and marketing teams

Penguin Random House US has restructured its international sales team with a string of promotions and two departures.

Akiko Iwamoto, regional sales director of Asia, and Tony Lutkus, senior director, international marketing and imprint sales, will be leaving the company later this month. There were also 10 promotions announced including sales team members Richard Callison, Anke Reichelt and Mike Zaug who have all been promoted to vice-presidential roles and will continue to report to Cyrus Kheradi, senior vice-president of international sales and marketing at PRH US.

The changes were announced in a letter from Kheradi which was circulated to staff on Thursday (15th April). Kheradi said: “I am pleased to announce a realignment of the Penguin Random House US international sales and marketing teams, enabling us to streamline our efforts and to better collaborate with our publishing divisions and clients with greater speed and efficiency, as well as take advantage of exciting new sales growth opportunities in all our distribution channels around the world.”

Callison is named vice-president, international sales director, online and digital. “Richard continues to successfully lead our efforts in growing our international online print and digital sales,” Kheradi wrote. “He joined our international sales team five years ago, and has been with the company for 17 years, primarily in online and digital sales capacities. Richard’s talented set of sales skills have greatly enhanced our capacity to drive online sales worldwide.”

Reichelt has become vice-president, international sales director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Anke joined us in April 2000, and has built and overseen a strong, service-oriented sales team covering Europe, The Middle East and Africa,” Kheradi wrote. Her efforts have overseen a period of tremendous regional sales growth by building the strongest business relationships in the industry with our retail and distribution customers.”

Zaug is named vice-president, international sales director, Americas, special markets, operations and education. The letter reads: “A PRH international sales member for the last 15 years, Mike has been an exceptional international sales multi-position leader. His unique ability to successfully direct our sales in these diverse regions, channels, and sales operations areas is a testament to his extensive and immersive international sales experience. His wide-ranging sales capabilities, combined with the mindset of always doing what’s best for our authors’ books, will continue to contribute to our group’s sales growth in these key markets and channels.”

On the two departures, Kheradi wrote: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Akiko and Tony for their years of dedication and hard work, which have meaningfully contributed to our international sales accomplishments. Akiko and Tony’s efforts have both been enormously appreciated by their sales, publishing and marketing colleagues, and I wish them much continued success in their future endeavors.”