Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group has hired former Continuum CEO Oliver Gadsby to head a new international academic publishing division. Rowman & Littlefield International will be based in London and will acquire titles in the humanities and social sciences categories for not just the U.K. and European markets but for all markets outside of the U.S., Gadsby said. Gadsby told PW that he is starting to recruit a small team for the London office and that he expects to release the company’s first books in the third quarter of 2013. “Given the resources of Rowman & Littlefield I think we can have a fast start,” said Gadsby. The division’s first titles will be one’s that have international appeal and where research is ongoing, he added.The support of Rowman & Littlefield includes distribution by R&L’s sister company, National Book Network International, and access to Fusion, NBNi’s digital distribution arm.
Gadsby said R&L International will use technology in “every aspect of the business” from production to distribution. Given the international scope of the company, “digital delivery will be key,” Gadsby said. In addition, Gadsby said he expects to use “new models of collaboration” in working with authors.
Gadsby is the second former Continuum executive to join Rowman & Littlefield in recent weeks. At the beginning of October Robert Marsh, CFO of Bloomsbury, moved into a similar position at R&L. Marsh became Bloomsbury CFO following its acquisition of Continuum in 2011 where Marsh was finance director. Prior to its purchase by Bloomsbury, Continuum had been distributed in the U.S. by NBN. The new R&L International board will include Gadsby, RLPG president Jed Lyons and Ken Rhodes, general manager of NBN International.
