Warwick made c.e.o. of Scholastic as Lucchese and Dumont join board

Peter Warwick has been named president and c.e.o. of publisher Scholastic. The company has also appointed Iole Lucchese and Robert Dumont to the executive board of directors.

Warwick (pictured above), 69, who has served as an independent director on the company’s board since 2014, assumes the lead operating roles and responsibilities of Richard Robinson, who died in early June. Warwick will be responsible for Scholastic’s business strategy and overseeing all business segments and corporate functions. His appointment will be effective from 1st August.

Commenting on the new role, he said: “It is an honour to accept the position of c.e.o. at one of the premier publishing houses in the world, and to lead our dedicated and exceptionally talented management team and employees.

“Dick Robinson built Scholastic into the most admired global children’s book and education business. His devotion to children’s literacy, education and journalistic integrity was so profound it is ingrained in the culture of the company. I am deeply committed to continuing to embrace these same principles going forward and build on the core Scholastic mission while creating value for all of our stakeholders. As a board member for the past seven years, I have been part of the decisions that have built a powerful business platform and enhanced our beloved brand. We will grow our business by continuing to create new and exciting content, developing educational programmes in print and digital formats, and further strengthening our partnerships with children, parents and educators around the world.”

Lucchese, Scholastic executive vice-president and chief strategy officer of the company and president of Scholastic Entertainment, was elected to fill the board seat recently vacated by the passing of Robinson, with the board also appointing her a chair. In her current executive positions, which she will continue to hold, Lucchese has worked in partnership with Robinson to advance Scholastic’s strategic and creative initiatives across all operating units, as well as overseeing its digital content and marketing initiatives and its expanding media activities.

She has been with the company for 30 years, starting her career with Scholastic Canada and rising to the leadership of Scholastic Canada before moving to the company’s headquarters in New York City.

Meanwhile, Dumont has been elected as a director of the company, as designee of the Robinson Family. He is currently the principal at Robert Dumont PLLC, a New York-based boutique law firm specialising in tax and estate planning for international private clients. He established his private practice after 30 years with large organisations: first as a partner in Baker & McKenzie and then as the leader of Deloitte Tax LLP’s international private client practice. He will occupy the board seat held by Andrew Hedden, who continues to serve the company as its executive vice-president, general counsel and secretary. James W Barge will continue to serve as the board’s lead independent director.

In a joint statement, the board said: “Peter will be only the third c.e.o. in Scholastic’s rich 100-year history, and he has proven himself exceptionally qualified to take on that role. During his tenure as a member of the board, Peter has been an effective and creative leader and advocate for Scholastic. His prior career as the chief executive officer of significant business units within Thomson Reuters and Pearson provides Peter with the requisite experience and insights to deliver strong growth and financial performance at Scholastic. Under Peter’s leadership, our collection of great businesses, unparalleled content, and remarkable people will continue and grow in strength to serve our customers, shareholders and other stakeholders.”

Commenting on the other appointments, the board added: “We are pleased to welcome Iole and Bob to our board. They bring decades of leadership and insights that are vital to Scholastic’s future success. Their good counsel, expertise and passion will add a new energy to our board, further strengthening our commitment to the continuance of Scholastic’s mission of creating, in both print and digital formats, books, educational materials and children’s media that encourage and inspire students from all backgrounds throughout the world.”

“We believe the executive and board leadership changes made today, in the wake of Dick Robinson’s passing, will provide the organisational direction necessary to move Scholastic forward in continuing and building on its core mission and its focus on our customers, parents, educators and children.”