Book industry services company Firebrand Technology has started an affiliate company, Firebrand Associates, that will be overseen by Don Linn, former owner and CEO of Consortium and publisher of Taunton Press. The new offshoot will be an independent management consulting group.
Fran Toolan head Firebrand said he and Linn have been looking to work together for some time and that the new company, he thinks, serves a much needed niche. “As publishers struggle with managing both their existing print publishing programs and their growing digital publishing programs, there are urgent needs to reorganize processes throughout the organization,” Toolan noted.
Firebrand Associates will focus on operational issues and, in addition to Linn, Tim Cooper, formerly at Harcourt and currently heading his own consulting firm, The Consulting Garage, has been added to the staff.
In other staff changes, Doug Lessing has been named president of Firebrand Technologies and Susan Ruszala has been named president of NetGalley. Toolan will remain CEO of the company. Toolan added that Firebrand is looking to staff up Firebrand Associates, and the expectation is that several new hires will be made in the coming months.
