Joachim Kaufmann, the longtime CEO of German publisher Carlsen Verlag, will become president and CEO of the Frankuter Buchmesse, or Frankfurt Book Fair, effective September 1. Kaufmann will take over after this year's fair, which runs October 7–11. He succeeds Juergen Boos, who has served as CEO since 2005.
As CEO of Carlsen Verlag, the Hamburg-based subsidiary of the Swedish Bonnier Group, since 2006, Kaufmann helped to grow the house into one of Germany's largest trade publishers. He also held various positions within the Bonnier Group and served on the board of Bonnier Books UK. He was also responsible for Bonnier's expansion into new markets, including Poland and China.
Before joining Carlsen, Kaufmann held positions in sales and marketing at Herder, Christophorus, Bertelsmann (now Penguin Random House), and Ravensburger. In addition, he has represented German publishers internationally through the International Publishers Association and currently the Federation of European Publishers.
In a statement, Kaufmann outlined his vision for the fair, citing its dual mission. "In its role as the leading international event for the global book industry, it must remain the central venue for both rights trading and personal exchanges for the entire book world, and constantly adapt to the needs of its customers," he said. "I also see excellent opportunities to develop it into the largest festival for booklovers and reading far beyond Frankfurt and to draw the public's attention to the wonderful world of books and stories during the fair week."
Karsten Schmidt-Hern, chairman of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels Beteiligungsgesellschaft, the German booksellers and publishers association which oversees the fair, called Kaufmann "the ideal successor to Juergen Boos."
Boos gave his endorsement to Kaufmann, citing years of collaboration on international book industry issues and freedom of expression. "Few leaders in our world of books are as capable as he is of inspiring people with his ideas and convictions," Boos said. "He and the strong culture of collaboration within the Frankfurter Buchmesse team are an ideal match."
