Sansigre named PRH global c.f.o. as Johnston retires

Manuel Sansigre has been named Penguin Random House’s global chief financial officer, replacing James Johnston, who is retiring after 33 years with the company. In addition, Divya Sawhney, head of global strategy, is promoted to chief strategy officer.

Sansigre takes up his new role on 1st January 2024, reporting to global c.e.o. Nihar Malaviya. Sansigre joined PRH eight years ago, and “has been instrumental in driving more than 30 investments in both publishing houses and intellectual property assets around the world” an announcement to staff said.

PRH described Johnston as “an indispensable and steadfast part of our business, contributing significantly to the growth and success of both Random House and Penguin Random House”. He became c.f.o. in 2018.

A statement from Malaviya said: “Those who have had the pleasure of directly working with Jim know that he is one of the most collaborative, considerate individuals, one whose genuine enthusiasm for our work is always present. His profound understanding of our company’s inner workings, coupled with his measured pragmatism and natural poise, has been remarkable and inspirational.

"Simply put, Jim is wonderful to work with and is a sincere, nice person. I will personally miss having Jim as an advisor and colleague, and I know this sentiment is shared throughout the company.”

Sawhney joined Penguin Random House “almost a decade ago” and "has been instrumental in shaping our company’s evolution and strategic direction”, said Malaviya. "In her expanded role, Divya and her team will work closely with the management and other strategy teams at both the global and local levels to drive growth implementation. She will lead the execution of key company-wide initiatives to accelerate organic growth as well as maximise the benefits from company and intellectual property acquisitions.”