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Sargent, Grisebach Rise At Von Holtzbrinck
Jim Milliot -- 2/2/98
A reorganization announced last week will alter the management structure of Georg von Holtzbrinck's academic and American trade publishing operations. The major changes will result in a promotion for St. Martin's president John Sargent and a new leader for the publisher's STM (Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishing)and scholarly operations. The changes took effect February 1.
Under the trade organizational structure, Sargent has been named chairman of both VHPS and HPHLP (Von Holtzbrinck Publishers Services and Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership). VHPS is the unit responsible for all of the company's back-office operations, including the huge Virginia warehouse that will hold all of the company's inventory by the start of 1999. In addition, Sargent will join the board of directors of Farrar, Straus &Giroux and Henry Holt as vice-chairman, and will also hold that title for St. Martin's and for Tor Books, which is being split off from St. Martin's.
Sargent told PW that his mandate is to work with FSG and Holt publishers Roger Straus and Michael Naumann, and that Dieter von Holtzbrinck will remain in overall charge of the trade division. Sargent will report directly to him.
Looking for Economies of Scale
Sargent said his main task is to find places where the four houses (including Tor) can work together. "We've come to the realization that being small in today's tough trade climate makes life difficult. I'll be looking for ways we can take advantage of some economies of scale," Sargent said. He emphasized that the editorial independence of the different companies will be protected, and that there are no current plans to cut title output.
On the scholarly side of von Holtzbrinck, Dr. Rolf Grisebach has been named to oversee the company's German STM and scholarly publishers, and has also been given responsibility for the company's U.S. college group. Under the new organization, Bob Biewen, head of the U.S. college group, will report to Grisebach, who will be moving to New York. The college group consists of W.H. Freeman, Worth Publishers, St. Martin's and Bedford Books.
According to von Holtzbrinck, the change was made after Jack Hanley, head of von Holtzbrinck's worldwide academic publishing group, decided to focus on STM publishing in the U.S. "Traveling to Germany once a month for six years took its toll," Hanley told PW. He will remain chairman of Scientific American; Grisebach will join him as co-chairman, with an emphasis on strategic planning and development. Hanley will also remain president of Scientific American Medicine and chairman of Hanley &Belfus, a company he founded several years ago. He will step down from the von Holtzbrinck board, but will continue to report to Dieter von Holtzbrinck.
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