Pan Macmillan International Director Jonathan Atkins to retire after 40 year career
Pan Macmillan today announces that International Director Jonathan Atkins will retire in April. His departure comes after 16 years with the company and a career in the publishing industry spanning four decades.
Since joining Pan Macmillan in December 2009, Atkins has been a central figure in the company’s global expansion.
As International Director he has been responsible for managing worldwide export sales and providing strategic oversight for sister companies Pan Macmillan India and Pan Macmillan South Africa. Under his leadership, both businesses achieved significant growth and record-breaking profitability.
‘All good things must come to an end and this feels like the right time for me to step back and hand over to the brilliantly talented teams, both here and overseas, who have all contributed to making international sales such a fundamental and successful part of the company's DNA.’
Atkins’ publishing journey began in European sales at Penguin before he moved to Simon & Schuster, where he spent 20 years and eventually served as International Publishing and Sales Director. At Pan Macmillan, his expertise has helped fuel the company’s considerable growth, including a second consecutive record-breaking year of international sales growth in 2024. In 2020, Atkins and his team won the British Book Award for Export, having been shortlisted for the honor for five consecutive years between 2019 and 2024.
Atkins said: “After 40 years in the business I can honestly say that my 16 years at Pan Mac have been the happiest and most rewarding time of my career. But all good things must come to an end and this feels like the right time for me to step back and hand over to the brilliantly talented teams, both here and overseas, who have all contributed to making international sales such a fundamental and successful part of the company's DNA.”
Joanna Prior, CEO, Pan Macmillan added: “I want to personally thank Jonathan for his dedicated leadership and for the relentless energy he has poured into Pan Macmillan during the last 16 years. He has been instrumental in ensuring our books, authors, and illustrators find their way into the hands of readers in every corner of the globe. We wish him all the very best for his retirement, knowing that we are a stronger, more connected company because of his work.”
Atkins’ last day with the company will be 2nd April.
His replacement will be announced shortly.
