Pearson Company

Why David Risher Cheers as Readers Embrace Smartphones
November 21, 2016 at 11:57 am

Ask media executives about readers’ global migration to smartphones, and you can expect a chorus of groans. It’s the same lament across the newspaper, magazine and book businesses. The rise of tiny screens upends readers’ traditional habits — and clobbers ad revenue. David Risher sees things differently. He’s the president and cofounder of Worldreader, a…

Pearson Shares Tumble 10% as Sales Slide
October 17, 2016 at 11:20 am

The full extent of the difficulties Pearson is facing following the sale of the Financial Times to focus on education has been laid bare, as jittery investors sent its share price tumbling 10% after the company reported worse than expected sales. Pearson’s chief executive, John Fallon, sold the FT in 2015, as well as its…

Pearson Partners with Jisc to Speed Textbook Transition to Digital
September 29, 2016 at 2:12 pm

Pearson has signed a one-year partnership agreement with Jisc to speed the transition of its school textbooks to digital. The agreement with Jisc, a UK not-for-profit specialised in digital technology for higher education, further education and research, is said to be based on "extensive engagement and feedback" from Jisc members and following six months of talks between Jisc and Pearson. Pearson revealed yesterday (22nd September) a pilot scheme that will enable…

International Industry Notes: World’s Largest Publishers
August 29, 2016 at 12:32 pm

In his discussion of Publishers Weekly’s determination of the world’s largest publishers in 2015, Jim Milliot’s “hammer headline” is a good one: “Digital disruptions, soft economies challenge even the globe’s biggest players. As he writes, “Pearson maintained its place as the world’s largest book publisher in 2015, but that doesn’t mean the U.K.-based company didn’t face…

Pearson CEO John Fallon Responds to Brexit
June 28, 2016 at 1:48 pm

Many people have asked me about Pearson’s response to the recent result of the UK’s referendum on membership of the EU. Here is a note that I shared with Pearson’s colleagues last Friday (06.24.16) immediately after the result. Dear Colleagues, I am writing to share some immediate thoughts in the light of the UK’s vote…

Pearson to Target Online Learning to Reduce Dependence on Textbook Sales
June 17, 2016 at 2:18 pm

Pearson, in an attempt to reduce its dependence on textbook sales, has decided to target online university degree courses, across the globe. The move follows the British publishing and education company selling its stake in Financial Times and the Economist Group in 2015 to focus on its core education business. John Fallon, chief executive at…

Pearson Finds Language Gap with Unit Sale
April 28, 2016 at 12:49 pm

The FTSE-100 education and publishing group Pearson is hoisting a "for sale" sign over a division it bought less than four years ago as it wrestles with growing pressure on global sales. Sky News understands that Pearson is exploring a disposal of GlobalEnglish Corp, which uses cloud software to teach English to employees of multinational…

Bertelsmann Plans to Raise Stake in Penguin Random House
March 25, 2016 at 8:30 am

Bertelsmann has reported a 4.7% rise in full-year core profit and reiterated its plan to raise its stake in Penguin Random House, the book publisher which helped to drive the earnings increase. The German media group controls RTL entertainment company and owns about half of Penguin Random House, publisher of bestselling authors such as John…

Savikas Out at Safari, Amid Reports of Layoffs
March 16, 2016 at 9:19 am

The technology blog The Digital Reader has reported that “massive layoffs” have hit Safari Books Online, a digital subscription service specializing in technical and business content. According to the report, the company's CEO Andrew Savikas is among those who have been cut. Savikas confirmed that he is leaving Safari in a post on Medium. SBO…

Shareholders Call for Pearson Strategy Review After 'Crisis of Confidence'
March 8, 2016 at 2:21 pm

A coalition of shareholders, representing 40,000 of Pearson's voting shares across the UK and US, has called for Pearson to urgently review its business strategy due to a "crisis of confidence". Teachers' union pension funds that invest in Pearson - including the Great Britain’s National Union of Teachers - and 130 shareholders represented by the…