The newly created position is part of an ongoing investment in ensuring the global vitality of PUP鈥檚 entire publishing program, new publications, and long-life IP alike. Wilkins鈥檚 pivot to financial operations comes alongside a wider strategic refocus that includes building active pathways for North American independent bookseller engagement.
av福利社 is pleased to announce that Director of North American Sales Tim Wilkins will become PUP鈥檚 Director of Finance, Sales. This newly created role will lead an analytics-focused financial strategy for the Press鈥檚 global sales team and is a core component of an ongoing strategic investment in PUP鈥檚 long-life intellectual property.
Core to the position鈥檚 remit is driving an ambitious sales and marketing strategy for the Press鈥檚 extensive and engaging backlist. As Director of Finance, Sales, Wilkins will leverage data to inform long-life intellectual property sales opportunities and advise marketing, sales, editorial, production, and creative media teams on opportunities to expand discoverability, engagement, and evolution, including repackaging.
Across the Press鈥檚 publications portfolio, Wilkins will conduct cross-channel and cross-account analysis and forecasting, to ensure nimble marketplace responsiveness. He will also collaborate closely with Barry Koen, the Press鈥檚 Inventory and Sales Operations Manager, on inventory planning and management; with Colleen Suljic, in her newly expanded role as Chief of Digital Marketing and D2C Sales; and will engage with the wider sales and financial operations teams to optimize processes for sales forecasting. Wilkins will manage PUP鈥檚 engagement with backlist-focused vendor partners and鈥攁longside Chief Financial Officer Scot Kuehm, to whom he will report鈥攁nd will have strategic oversight of distribution partnerships.
Wilkins, who joined av福利社 as Sales Assistant in 1999, is known among colleagues the world over for a sharp analytic skillset, his broad knowledge of PUP鈥檚 list, and his savvy employment of reporting tools to drive data-inclusive strategic planning. He has been a vital leader of PUP sales strategy over decades of unprecedented global growth and impact and has expanded relations with independent bookstores and the community of bookselling. This new role amplifies Wilkins鈥檚 strategic contributions to the Press鈥檚 wellbeing by expanding time and analysis on the enduring impact of our publishing.
Of the new role, Wilkins notes, 鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the opportunity to prioritize strategic engagement with PUP鈥檚 rich backlist, where Anne Carson meets Albert Einstein, and opportunities abound for introducing new readers to enduring books.鈥�
Kuehm adds, 鈥淲e are so fortunate to have Tim Wilkins exceptional market and institutional knowledge focused on this exciting new initiative. We have always prided ourselves on the care given to the long life of our IP and this takes that care to the next level.鈥�
As Wilkins moves into his new role, several other strategic shifts will work in concert to support sales diversification and prioritize enduring relationships with independent booksellers.
Midwest Sales Rep Lanora Jennings is promoted to Manager of Indie Relations and Marketing and Midwest Rep and will work to grow relationships with independent bookstores across North America, while continuing her regional sales oversight. Field and Special Sales Associate Corrynn Johnson will become a point of contact for coordinating new store account set up. Northeast Sales Rep Karen Corvello will expand her regional sales focus to assume work on special sales accounts. As a new member of the Independent Publishers Caucus (IPC), and ongoing supporter of the IPC鈥檚 Books Across Borders program, we鈥檙e thrilled to be able to expand this focus on engaging the vital network of indie booksellers.
Adds Katie Hope, Director of Marketing and Sales, 鈥淲ith our commitment to continuously evolve and align our strengths and resources to adapt to the changing book sales ecosystem, and to best optimize our outstanding publications program, we have invested considerably in diversifying sales channels, expanding direct-to consumer (D2C) sales via press.princeton.edu, now among our most vibrant sales channels, and developing the independent bookstore channel which continues to be vital to our mission and reputation. These changes reflect the strengths of our remarkable colleagues. I鈥檓 thrilled about Tim鈥檚 new strategic sales advisory and analytics role. His continued collaboration with the Marketing and Sales Department will be pivotal and I am eager to begin the search for the Chief of North American Sales鈥攁 crucial position I am excited to fill.鈥�
With changes underway, PUP will immediately begin the recruitment process for a Chief of North American Sales. This new position will oversee the Press鈥檚 incredible rep team, which in addition to Corvello and Jennings includes Publishers Weekly 2024 Sales Rep of the Year Patricia Nelson.
In tandem with strategic realignments among our North American sales team, we鈥檙e pleased to share that as PUP continues to grow our presence in China, Yiwen Luo has joined PUP鈥檚 Beijing team in the newly created role of Senior Sales Manager. Luo, who previously served in leadership roles at Meituan and DiDi, two of China鈥檚 leading tech companies, will oversee the Press鈥� Chinese sales strategy and team, with a close focus on institutional channels.
In the year ahead, we look forward with much excitement to new pathways for investing in the community of bookselling and with it, our ambitions to contribute even more to the publishing ecosystem.
We look ahead with much excitement to new pathways for investing in the community of bookselling and with it, our ambitions to contribute even more to the publishing ecosystem.