Content area
News of the completion of the Penguin Random House merger on July 1 came with a roster of the new global corporate hierarchy. At the top: Marcus Dohle, chief executive of Random House, is the new CEO of Penguin Random House, now the world's largest consumer book publisher. Penguin's John Makinson, head of Penguin worldwide, chairs the new company. The newly formed company will have $3.9 billion in revenue, 10,000 employees, nearly 250 imprints, and a global reach, combining Random House's strength in Latin America with Penguin's hold in India and China. Penguin Random House will publish 15,000 new titles a year. The first 100 days of a new corporate regime tend to telegraph the future. Changes announced so far at Penguin Random House emphasize retaining valued executives and employees, authors, and readers and a collaborative rather than a "winner take all" approach, blending the companies gradually, over a two- to five-year period.