HarperCollinsPublishers ANZ: Karen Ferns retires and Sandy Weir new NZ General Manager

Changes at HarperCollins

 

From Jim Demetriou
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

HarperCollinsPublishers Australia & New Zealand
It is with mixed emotions that I announce the retirement of our New Zealand General Manager, Karen Ferns.

Karen’s extraordinary career in publishing began in the 1980s at Penguin, where she rose to the position of Marketing Director. She then joined Random House New Zealand as Sales and Marketing Director and was later promoted to Managing Director in 2008. In 2012, Karen was appointed Joint Managing Director of Random House ANZ, and in 2019 was appointed General Manager at HarperCollins New Zealand, when Arotahi was established, integrating Hardie Grant, Simon & Schuster, Walker Books and Gecko Press into our operations.

Karen has been a passionate advocate for New Zealand and its publishing industry, renowned for developing and empowering high-performing teams, generously sharing her expertise and leaving a lasting impact on all who have had the privilege to work alongside her. Her extensive experience, calm demeanour, and pragmatic approach have significantly contributed to our business, establishing HarperCollins as a leading publisher in New Zealand. Reflecting on her career, Karen said, ‘It’s been a privilege to work alongside so many talented individuals whether authors, booksellers or publishers’. Please join me in wishing her all the best in this new chapter of her life.

As we bid farewell to Karen, I am excited to welcome Sandy Weir as our next General Manager – HarperCollins New Zealand. Sandy brings a wealth of experience in publishing, having begun her career at Tower Books as a sales representative and later moving to Allen & Unwin, where she played a pivotal role in managing accounts and launching Alliance Distribution Services (ADS). After relocating to Auckland, Sandy successfully established Allen & Unwin New Zealand before returning to Australia as Sales & Marketing Director for the Orion Group, a division of Hachette Australia.

Most recently, Sandy served as Head of Non-Fiction at HarperCollins Australia until 2011 and has worked as a publishing consultant while also becoming a published author with her book, Other People’s Homes. Sandy expressed her enthusiasm about returning to book publishing: ‘Returning to book publishing feels like coming home, as does the move to New Zealand. I’m delighted, excited, and inspired. I’m really looking forward to joining the HarperCollins team again and reconnecting with the New Zealand book community.’ Sandy and Karen will transition during April.

 

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