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Riot co-founder Gadher appointed new m.d. at Penguin General
Riot Communications co-founder Preena Gadher has been appointed as the new managing director of Penguin General, succeeding Joanna Prior, who moved earlier this year to become c.e.o. of Pan Macmillan.
Gadher will take up the role on 1st September, joining the Penguin Random House UK leadership team, reporting to c.e.o. Tom Weldon. She will continue to work at Riot in an advisory capacity until 29th July, and will be succeeded by Caitlin Allen, who will take over as m.d. at Riot, supported by fellow director Katy MacMillan-Scott.
Gadher began her career in publishing in a publicity work experience placement at Penguin Press. She rose quickly through the ranks, working with some of the most notable names in non-fiction including Naomi Klein, Amartya Sen, Nassim Taleb and Freakonomics authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. In 2008 she left to co-found culture and entertainment PR agency Riot Communications, with Anwen Hooson.
Under her stewardship Riot has won numerous awards and recognitions, including most recently The Blueprint diversity mark for its progressive approach to diversity and inclusion. Over the past 14 years the agency has built up a roster of prestigious clients and brands, including Aardman, Moomin Characters and the Royal Institution. The team has worked closely with a number of publishers and has played a role in the campaigns for authors including Yuval Noah Harari and Peter James.
Gadher said: “After 14 years, I have decided to step down as m.d. of Riot. It has been one of the hardest professional decisions I’ve ever made, but when an exceedingly rare opportunity presents itself, at a time when you know your team is perfectly positioned to take over the successful running of things, it’s the right time for change.
“The opportunity to lead Penguin General, a division I have long admired for the breadth, depth and inclusivity of its list, is a dream job. It is a division that has grown from strength to strength thanks to an exceptionally talented team of staff and an incredible roster of authors. What a privilege then, to steer it, not least as someone who started their career in publishing at Penguin almost 20 years ago, as the wide-eyed work experience. I hope my appointment encourages those just starting out in the industry, or anyone who might have felt that they didn’t belong in it. I can’t wait to return to my first employer, and work alongside the Penguin General team to continue the division’s success.”
Weldon added: “Leading Penguin General is one of the most prestigious roles in publishing and I felt a huge sense of responsibility to find the right person to take on that mantle. I could not be more pleased or excited that it will be Preena.
“We held an extensive open recruitment process for this role and Preena stood out from the very start. Not only is she smart, talented and thoughtful, but also an inspiring entrepreneur, role model and advocate. I am hugely impressed by the way she has established and built an award-winning agency, with such a progressive approach to diversity and inclusion, from the ground-up. I know that leaving Riot has been an incredibly hard decision for Preena, but I am thrilled that she has chosen to return to Penguin and take the helm at Penguin General.”
Under its new leadership, Riot is joining The Splendid Collective, an agency network formed by east London-based consumer comms agency Splendid Communications, which has acquired a 100% stake in Riot.
The agency said the move is part of its growth strategy and “as part of this growing network, Riot will retain its identity as a culture and entertainment specialist, whilst benefitting from the support of a group leadership team led by Splendid Communications c.e.o. Alec Samways”.
Riot director Adele Minchin is also leaving Riot to pursue her own creative endeavours.
Gadher said she was “incredibly proud” of Riot. “I will certainly miss our wonderful clients who have been my passion all these years, and my amazingly talented team. But I know that they are all left in the safe hands of Caitlin and Katy – who are two of the most formidable women I have ever met – and Alec and the team at The Splendid Collective, under whose guidance I know Riot will do even bigger and better things.”
She added: “My thanks to Anwen Hooson who co-founded the agency with me when we were in our twenties, green but ambitious, and Adele Minchin for her unwavering support all these years.”
Allen commented: “I couldn’t be more excited to take on the reins of a business that I know and love so much, having been part of its success for the past six years. I’m delighted to continue Preena’s amazing work and lead Riot in the next phase of its growth, working as part of The Splendid Collective. Riot will continue to do what it is famous for – intelligent, values driven work in the culture and entertainment sector that creates real-world impact for our clients – now with the added excitement of working alongside a group of agencies with different but complementary strengths to help us enhance our proposition.”
