New CEO for Emerald Publishing

Emerald Publishing has appointed Vicky Williams as its new CEO.

Richard Bevan, who has been CEO of Emerald Group since 2010, will take on the additional role of executive chairman of Emerald Group, with its founder, Keith Howard, stepping down as chairman. Howard will remain a member of the Emerald Group Board.

Williams has held a variety of senior roles in her 18 years at Emerald, including head of publishing development, director of business and development and, most recently, director of people (HR) and CEO of Emerald’s creative agency business, Research Media.

Bevan said: 'Vicky is the ideal person to lead and further inspire our scholarly publishing business. Sharp-minded, curious, determined, steeped in the academic publishing market and with a great talent for leadership, Vicky has excelled in all the roles she has held at Emerald, and was the obvious choice when it came to choosing the right candidate for this critical appointment.'

Williams added: 'I’m extremely honoured to have the opportunity to lead a business packed full of talented and passionate people that put the needs of our communities of authors, editors, librarians, research officers, institutions and their students at the heart of everything we do.

'With this ethos and a changing academic publishing landscape in mind, we look forward to further collaborating with our communities to tackle pressing issues, such as impact, open access, big data, and research funding.'