McLean returns to Pan Macmillan as Kingfisher publisher

Pan Macmillan has appointed Russell McLean as publisher of the Kingfisher non-fiction imprint, where he was editorial director between 2009 and 2012.

McLean will join the team from Carlton Books in July and will look to grow sales in the US, as well as in export and co-edition markets. He will report to Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, publisher at Macmillan Children’s Book, and takes over from Kingfisher’s current publishing director Jane Walker, who has left the company to pursue personal interests.

Anthony Forbes Watson, m.d. of Pan Macmillan said: “Kingfisher epitomises high quality children's non-fiction and the imprint has been a quiet international success story over several years under Jane Walker.  I'm very pleased to welcome Russell back and am excited to see Kingfisher embark on a new period of growth in a dynamic market under his creative leadership.”

McLean, who was editorial director at Bonnier Publishing before joining Carlton, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be returning to Pan Macmillan, and Kingfisher in particular. It was clear at this year’s Bologna Bookfair that illustrated children’s non-fiction is enjoying an unprecedented boom in both sales and creativity, making this the perfect time to be returning to such a well-respected imprint. I’d like to thank my talented colleagues at Carlton for helping me build a successful, high-quality list over the last five years, and I look forward to exciting times ahead at Pan Macmillan.”