BISG in Transition: Scott Lubeck Resigns

Very surprising news from BISG this morning that Executive Director, Scott Lubeck has resigned for personal reasons and will return home to Austin, TX.

Here is the release from BISG this morning:

The Book Industry Study Group (BISG), the industry's leading trade association for policy, standards and research, today announced that Scott Lubeck, Executive Director, has resigned for personal reasons and will be returning to Austin, Texas. Deputy Executive Director Angela Bole has been named to fulfill the functions of the Executive Director on an interim basis, working closely with members of the BISG Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

“BISG has grown enormously in the last two years, tackling bigger issues, expanding the Board of Directors and developing important new initiatives,” said Dominique Raccah, Chair of BISG and Publisher and Chief Executive Officer of Sourcebooks. “On behalf of the BISG Board and the Executive Committee, I wish Scott well in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions, which have benefited BISG tremendously.”

“I have appreciated the opportunity to serve this important organization and to work with its Executive Committee, Board, membership and staff,” Lubeck said. “It has truly been an honor. I intend to remain a vital part of this industry, and to remain active in BISG and a supporter of its many initiatives.”

Kenneth Michaels, Vice Chair of BISG and Chief Operating Officer, Hachette Book Group, reports that BISG has formed a Search Committee to identify candidates for its Executive Director position. “The Search Committee is seeking a candidate who will expand and enhance the resources BISG provides,” Michaels said. “The book industry looks to BISG for leadership, innovation and vision in a changing marketplace, and we look forward to identifying a candidate who embodies those qualities.” BISG has engaged the services of Bert Davis & Associates to manage the search for a new Executive Director.

“New BISG resources, best practices and research projects are developing at an amazing pace,” said George Tattersfield, Vice President Merchandising, Ingram Content Group Inc., and BISG Treasurer. Over the next few months, he noted, BISG will be releasing:

• BookStats, the fruit of a joint venture with the Association of American Publishers that provides a comprehensive view of book publishing sales aggregated by revenue, units, categories, formats and distribution channels
• a series of webcasts on selling more books with metadata
• best practices for e-book identification
• a standardized vocabulary for streamlining rights transactions in the digital era.

More information on these initiatives and others in process is available from Angela Bole at angela@bisg.org or 646-336-7141.