Publishing Business Conference & Expo Announces Leading Industry Executives as Co-Chairs

The Publishing Business Conference & Expo has announced three co-chairs for the 2009 conference: Andrew Brenneman, managing director, Finitiv; David Hetherington, adjunct professor, Pace University’s Graduate School of Book and Magazine Publishing; and John Sateja, executive vice president of Consumer Reports.

In their roles as co-chairs, Brenneman, Hetherington and Sateja will work with the staff of Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines, which produce the event, to develop more than 50 conference sessions that will provide book- and magazine-publishing executives with actionable ideas and insights to improve their businesses.

Together, the trio of experts brings many decades of publishing experience to the development of the Publishing Business Conference program.

“We are thrilled to have the participation of Andrew, David and John. Their combined knowledge and contacts are far-reaching in the publishing universe, and their insights and ideas will be a boon to the conference and its attendees,” says Noelle Skodzinski, conference director and editor-in-chief of Book Business and Publishing Executive. “Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be working tirelessly with them—leaning on both their experience and their Rolodexes—to identify great speakers and to develop sessions that are jam-packed with tips and strategies to help drive publishers’ growth, profits and success.”

Brenneman has 20 years of experience leading digital media initiatives in publishing. Most recently, he founded and led The University of Chicago Press’ Digital Media Group. In 2008, he began writing the "Digital Directions" column for Book Business magazine, offering publishers digital-media insights and strategies.

“Publishers of all stripes will be called upon to fundamentally recast their value to the marketplace, their offerings and their organizations. Those that are able to understand and execute such changes will remain and thrive. Those that don’t won’t,” says Brenneman. “The current crisis in the macroeconomy further narrows the window of opportunity in which these changes must be made. It is a critical time for publishers and their partners to share their perspectives, [which] will help drive this strategic work.”