Egmont USA has appointed Andrea Cascardi to the new combined role of managing director and publisher, effective immediately. Cascardi joins Egmont USA from the Transatlantic Literary Agency, where she has represented such authors as Mary Casanova, Mary Nethery, and Newbery Medalist Clare Vanderpool. Previously she worked at Disney Publishing, Kingfisher USA, and the Knopf and Crown imprints at Random House Children's Books; she began her career in the editorial department at Houghton Mifflin.

“I’m delighted that Andrea is joining us to take on this new combined role,” Poplak said. “She has the strategic vision, business experience and creative background to accelerate Egmont’s growth in the U.S., and I’m very much looking forward to working with her to build on our first few years.”

Cally Poplak, managing director of Egmont Press, who has been managing the U.S. business from London, paid tribute to Elizabeth Law, who was Egmont USA’s originating publisher and is leaving the company after five years.

“Elizabeth has made a tremendous contribution to building Egmont’s list,” she said, “and we are enormously grateful for the passion she has put into the business.”