Penguin Unites Kids Marketing Departments
-- Publishers Weekly, 2/22/1999
Doug Whiteman, president and publisher of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, has merged the division's trade marketing and merchandise marketing departments into one unit. Audrey Cusson, formerly v-p, associate publisher for merchandising, has been placed in charge of the group, while Maureen Gordon, senior v-p, associate publisher for trade marketing, has left the company.Whiteman told PW the changes were made in an effort to better coordinate the marketing department's activities. 'I didn't think we could get where I want the department to be with the way things were,' Whiteman said. A major objective of the realignment is to make the department 'more retailer friendly. I think we do a great job in the institutions and in paperback, but we need to get closer to our retail accounts,' Whiteman explained. To that end, Whiteman said he expects to add four or five new staff members soon; the department currently has about 32 employees.
Gordon was a longtime Penguin employee who was promoted to her former position in 1997. Prior to that she had been senior v-p, sales and marketing, children's books, working with the different Penguin imprints. She can be reached at (908) 232-1458.
In another personnel change in the children's group, Mimi Kayden, who served as children's marketing director of Dutton, Penguin USA and Penguin Putnam, has announced that she will retire March 12. Kayden has been with Penguin for 28 years and has worked with a long list of authors and artists in the children's book field.
Kayden said she is 'leaving on a high note. We've had a very successful year,' noting that the unit had record sales and profits in 1998. She can be reached at mrkayden@aol.com.
