Our AI Steering Committee
Group Communications Director and Global AI Lead
Sara Lloyd
Sara Lloyd is the Group Communications Director and Global AI Lead at Pan Macmillan, where she steers the intersection of technology, ethics, and creativity. A veteran of the print-to-digital revolution, Sara now spearheads the group’s global AI strategy and policy, fostering a culture of innovation. Her 30+ year career spans STM, academic, and consumer publishing, earning her a perennial spot on The Bookseller Top 100 and the title of Futurebook Leader of the Year. A fierce DEI advocate, sponsor of Pan Mac’s social mobility network and Trustee for New Writing North, Sara is dedicated to ensuring the future of publishing is as inclusive as it is evolved.
Sara says: “Publishing has always been a technology business, from the press to the e-reader; AI is the latest opportunity that we must harness with purpose, all while protecting the rights of creators. My focus is on using AI and innovation to strip away friction and enhance what we do, enabling our teams to focus on what matters most.
I see AI not as a replacement for creativity, but as the ultimate bridge between writers and readers. In an era of infinite content, innovation is the only way we ensure that the most vital stories don’t just exist, but actually get found.”
Chief Financial Officer
Lara Borlenghi
Lara Borlenghi is the CFO of Pan Macmillan and is responsible for Finance teams both at Pan Mac and the Shared Service Centre in Basingstoke. The Contracts team also reports to Lara, who works closely with Pan Mac India and South Africa, and sits on the MPIL board.
Lara came to publishing quite late in her career, as she trained to be a Chartered Accountant after university despite studying Classics. After many years working in finance roles in various media companies including Warner Music, Grazia Magazine, Magic Radio and BBC Studios, Lara joined Pan Macmillan in 2012 as Finance Director. She is a big reader and can often be found in BookBar in Highbury.
A selection of Lara's favourite Pan Mac books include The Miniaturist, A Little Life, The Square of Sevens, The Sea of Tranquility and The Skylarks' War.
Chief Operating Officer
James Long
James Long is the Chief Operating Officer at Pan Macmillan. His focus is on driving strategic innovation and operational excellence across key functions including production, data and analytics, ESG and AI empowerment. James leads our dynamic, award-winning audio publishing division, driving growth by amplifying creativity, fostering collaboration, implementing clear strategy and harnessing cutting-edge technology. He is passionate about transforming publishing and production operations into insight-driven frameworks that boost performance and growth.
James says: “Unlocking new ways of working that enable growth and greater productivity is an ever-present challenge - AI and innovation are the path to new solutions.“Publishing is both local and global, and reading is both personal and social, and the patterns of discovery and engagement are changing all the time - so our books need to be available in any context and meet readers wherever they are and however they want to read; AI and innovation will enable us to do this.”
Director of People & Culture
Briony Grogan
Briony Grogan is the Director of People & Culture at Pan Macmillan, joining from News UK where she worked in HR roles for twelve years, most recently as HR director and diversity lead. Prior to that Briony also worked in HR roles at HMV Group and Waterstones. Briony’s focus is on developing Pan Macmillan’s AI literacy and fluency.
Briony says: “I am fascinated by how recent technological advances are disrupting our industry, specifically in how books are discovered and consumed. While AI and innovation are transforming our processes, I believe they cannot replace the core creativity that authors and illustrators bring to the page.
“My goal is to help our people navigate where AI can enhance our work and identify where it shouldn't.”
Managing Director, Macmillan Children's Books
Alison Ruane
Alison Ruane is the Managing Director of Macmillan Children’s Books, the proud original publishers of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Rod Campbell’s Dear Zoo and Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo, along with many other outstanding and bestselling authors and illustrators.
Macmillan Children’s Books publishes a vibrant and varied portfolio of books, from baby novelty through to YA fiction, and are passionate about stories that reflect the lives and experiences of all children and young people, whatever their background.
Alison hails from the Midlands, specifically Leicestershire and, as a child, spent many a quiet Saturday afternoon choosing my next read from the eclectic selection at the local library, however, being involved in the creation of those books wasn’t something she realised was possible.
Later, having completed an English Literature degree at Sheffield University, and unsure what to do with the rest of my life, she landed on the idea of publishing as an industry to try, but without any real idea of how to go about it. Ignoring warnings that you had to already live in London and know someone in the industry, she enrolled in a publishing postgraduate course at West Herts College and that opened the door to her first publishing job as a marketing executive at Collins Education.
From there Alison undertook marketing roles at Ladybird and Penguin Children’s Books and developed her career over fourteen further years at HarperCollins Children’s Books holding roles including marketing director, associate publisher and brand strategy director.
Alison joined Macmillan Children’s Books in 2020 as communications director, and was promoted to managing director in August 2024. Pan Macmillan is a treasure trove of incredible publishing, both new books and old, and some of her favourites are James by Percival Everett, Unraveller by Frances Hardinge and The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb.
Managing Director, Pan
Lucy Hale
As Managing Director of Pan, Lucy Hale heads up an editorial and communications team that prides itself in responsiveness and attention to detail. Pan delivers exceptional sales results alongside excellent care for the imprint's authors and their careers. Pan is a bestseller powerhouse and home to a broad range of titles across fiction and non-fiction.
Whether it’s fiction or real life, Lucy loves a story - especially one she can’t put down from the first page on. As a publisher, Lucy values a clear proposition, and as a reader, relishes an eccentric twist. More than anything, she loves variety and the infinite possibilities to be found between the covers of a great paperback book . . .
As well as overseeing all the commercial publishing for Pan Macmillan hardbacks, Pan paperbacks and the Macmillan Business, Mantle and Tor imprints, Lucy is also enormously proud to be publisher of Lucinda Riley and her wonderful legacy.
General Counsel
Lyndon Branfield
Lyndon Branfield is the General Counsel at Pan Macmillan. He oversees the intersection of Pan Macmillan’s legal framework and its tech evolution. A dual-qualified lawyer (South African Attorney and British Solicitor) with a lifelong passion for media and publishing in all its forms, Lyndon is dedicated to navigating what is arguably the most significant shift in our industry since the advent of the internet.
Lyndon says: “We have moved purposefully beyond the 'novelty' phase of generative AI into a more mature, human-centered strategy. My focus is on building robust, ethical frameworks that leverage these emerging tools while protecting the intellectual property that defines Pan Macmillan.
“By prioritising a 'human-in-the-loop' philosophy, we ensure that innovation empowers the creative workflow, preserving the irreplaceable spark of authorship in an increasingly digital-first environment.”
Digital Marketing Director
Lee Dibble
Lee Dibble is the Digital Marketing Director at Pan Macmillan, where her focus is on blending data-driven insights with creative strategy to connect our books with the right readers across digital channels. On the AI Steering Committee, Lee advocates for pragmatic, high-impact innovation projects that help evolve our business practices. These projects are designed to test new tools, optimise campaign spend, and increase visibility for our books and authors—all while maintaining rigorous guardrails around author IP and brand safety.
Lee says:
"As publishers, exploring both the benefits and limitations of AI is essential to fulfilling our core duty to our authors and their intellectual property. Navigating this technology responsibly will help us adapt as reader habits evolve, meet audiences wherever and however they consume stories today, and ensure our publishing strategies remain as dynamic as the culture around us."
Technology and AI Development Director
John Duncan-Browne
John Duncan-Browne is Technology and AI Development Director at Pan Macmillan, where he leads the technical strategy behind the group's AI ambitions.
He is focused on how emerging technologies can be adopted responsibly and securely to support Pan Macmillan’s people, authors, illustrators and creative partners.
John believes AI will inevitably and fundamentally reshape publishing, just as it will businesses across every sector. Navigating that change will not always be a straight road, and his focus is on ensuring Pan Macmillan moves forward thoughtfully: balancing innovation with strong ethics, robust governance and security, while keeping people and creativity at the heart of how technology is applied.
John says: "AI's impact on publishing - and on every business - isn't a question of if, but how. That 'how' matters enormously: it's a winding road, and we need to navigate it thoughtfully, keeping our stakeholders and creative partners front and centre at every step.
"Security is one of the most under-discussed technical challenges in this space, and good governance isn't a nice-to-have - it's the foundation that lets us move fast without losing trust. Ethics has to run through everything we do, not sit alongside it.
"That said, I genuinely think this is one of the most exciting times to be working in technology and publishing, and I can't wait to help shape our AI-augmented workstreams as they develop."