Fisher becomes vice chair of YUPL's board

Academic and policy expert Richard Fisher has been named the vice chair of the board of trustees at Yale University Press London. Meanwhile, historian and curator Tim Knox has been appointed to the board.

Fisher was formerly managing director of academic publishing at Cambridge University Press, and is a non-executive director of Edinburgh University Press. He is a fellow and vice-president of the Royal Historical Society, and academic and policy correspondent of the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG), for which he writes a monthly blog on academic publishing issues.

Fisher replaces Francis Bennett, who last month completed his statutory eight years as vice chair and retired. During his career as a general publisher, Bennett was managing director of W H Allen, Sphere Books and group managing director of Thomson Books before becoming co-founder and managing director of Book Data, the bibliographic agency that pioneered full title information.

Knox, an art and architectural historian and curator of country houses, is joining the board with immediate effect. Knox was recently appointed director of the Royal Collection by Her Majesty the Queen and was formerly director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, director of the Sir John Soane’s Museum and head curator at the National Trust.

Knox and Fisher are joined on the board by Mary Cannam, Fionnuala Duggan and Angus McPhail.

Heather McCallum, publisher and managing director of YUP London, said: "I am thrilled that we will continue to benefit from the expertise of Richard Fisher as he assumes this important role. Richard brings us very wide industry experience, he has been an astute guide and he is a powerful champion of the press. 

"We are also delighted to welcome Tim Knox to our board. Tim spans Art and Architecture, is renowned internationally, has led a number of major institutions through periods of considerable change, is highly regarded as an innovator and has broad publishing experience as both author and Editor. His contribution will be invaluable as we build our Art and Architecture lists over the coming years."

Fisher said he was "delighted and honoured" to be taking on the new role.

"Yale University Press occupies a unique place in the transatlantic publishing landscape, warmly cherished by both its readers and its authors", said Fisher. "I greatly look forward to working with my fellow trustees and with Heather McCallum, John Donatich [director of Yale University Press and chair of the board] and all of their colleagues as we seek to preserve Yale’s special status, and to publish books that are both scholarly and accessible as effectively and imaginatively as we possibly can."

Knox said: "It’s a huge honour to be asked to serve on the board of YUP London. I’ve always admired the high standards that YUP brings to their publications in the fields of art and architecture, and I am pleased and proud to be able to play a role in upholding that excellence".

In 2016, YUPL underwent a controversial restructure which resulted in the departure of long-standing editors Gillian Malpass and Sally Salvesen, as well as four other employees. The publisher has since appointed former V&A Musuem publisher Mark Eastment and former Faber publisher Julian Loose.