Reshuffle at Hachette for Russell Evans and James Linney

Russell Evans has been named director of business development for Hachette UK Distribution and Hachette Book Group US Distribution (HBGUS Distribution). 

Additionally, James Linney, formerly finance director, will take on the new role of chief financial officer of distribution for Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group. 

The reshuffle was announced today by Matt Wright, chief executive of Hachette UK Distribution and HBGUS Distribution.  

Evans, previously business development director, will be responsible for developing client services at Hachette UK and HBGUS Distribution and attracting new client publishers for both territories.  

“Evans and Linney have been instrumental in the success of Hachette UK Distribution over the last three years, and both will report into Wright,” the company said.  

Together with Wright, Evans and Linney will collaborate with local management teams in both countries to improve service and grow the business internationally. Todd McGarity, vice president for corporate business development and strategy, will continue to support and develop US client business and work closely with Evans, while continuing to report to Richard Kitson, deputy chief executive for Hachette Book Group and Hachette UK.  

HBGUS Distribution draws together all order management, fulfilment and cash collection activities in the US for Hachette Book Group and its third-party client publishers, which represent 50% of the business.  

Services for client publishers are performed by the warehouse operations based in Indiana, the fulfilment team based in both Indiana and Boston and supported by the credit control and client accounting teams based in Boston. Hachette UK Distribution is a division of Hachette UK and provides leading-edge fulfilment and warehousing services to over 20 publishers, specialising in a wide variety of sectors, including trade, illustrated, educational, academic, professional, schools and children’s books.  

With over 65 million units dispatched annually, it delivers books and other media worldwide to customers from its state-of-the-art facility at the Hely Hutchinson Centre in Oxfordshire.