Meet the Speakers


Richard Connor C3 Education


Managing partner and head of research


Richard has been con- ducting market research exclusively in the schools sector for over 25 years. Building on his experience


Vikki Chowney Hill+Knowlton Strategies Chief content strategist


Vikki joined H+K in January 2015 to shape its approach to content and publish-


ing strategy, and to embed that across the agency. She also leads global strategy campaigns for Huawei and Campari. Prior to H+K, Vikki worked at agency network Creston. She was included in PR Week’s Power Book 2017, and featured in the first EMEA version of The Holmes Report’s Innovator 25 list, BIMA’s Hot 100 for 2015 and The Drum’s Social Buzz Top 50.


Matthew Hammersley Novel Effect


Co-founder and c.e.o.


Matt is co-founder and c.e.o. of Novel Effect, which recently received investment from Amazon’s Alexa Fund, and was a


finalist at last year’s FutureBook Awards in the BookTech Company of the Year category. The Novel Effect platform cre- ates voice-interactive stories, where voice is used to blend books and audio- books into one medium. As a former patent attorney and engineer, Matthew is a constant creator and innovator.


@mhammer18


Albert Hogan Penguin Random House UK Director, group marketing and audience


Albert has extensive expe- rience of the entertain- ment sector, having worked in film, music and publishing. Albert joined


PRH UK in February, and is responsible for its audience strategy for core brands Penguin, Puffin and Ladybird, and inter- est brands Dead Good and The Happy Foodie. Previously, as head of digital strategy at Universal Pictures, he worked on film franchises including Despicable Me, Fifty Shades, Fast & Furious and Jurassic World.


@alberthogan www.thebookseller.com


running several educational software/ content companies, Richard has gener- ated a wide range of research projects using innovative methodologies and insight to support publishers and the edtech sector.


Nick Coveney HarperCollins Digital innovation & projects director, digital


Nick has more than eight years’ experience in lead- ing digital roles in the publishing industry, work- ing with bestselling


authors and leading brands to digitally bring their content to life, including: PlayStation, Harry Potter, Alfie Deyes, Stephen King, George R R Martin, Enid Blyton, Cressida Cowell and Miranda Hart. Nick was selected as one of The Bookseller’s Rising Stars in 2014 and in 2016 was an inaugural London Book Fair TrailBlazer Award winner.


@nerporg


Jo Forshaw Consultant


Having previously tinkered with audio as an agent, a retailer and then a pro- grammer for a radio sta- tion, Jo ran the audio pub-


Dr Eliza Filby King’s College, London Writer, broadcaster and academic


@vikkichowney


Eliza is a writer, broadcaster and aca- demic, specialising in contemporary


values. Her current research focuses on the complex inter- generational landscape now dominating politics, the work space and the marketplace. Eliza also consults with compa- nies—including Pictet Bank, RGM International and Procter & Gamble—on marketing to and managing Generations Y and Z, and has recently com- pleted a six-month project with Toni & Guy.


Mads Holmen Bibblio Founder


Mads is the founder of Bibblio, a content recom- mendation platform for publishers. The company uses machine learning to


provide users with engaging and trust- worthy recommendations. Bibblio works with platforms such as the Cana- dian Electronic Library, Business of Fashion, Open Learn and Afar. Prior to Bibblio, Mads spent 10 years in online media in a variety of planning and strategy roles. He started his career at goviral, where he worked closely with the founding team.


lishing team at HarperCollins until spring 2017. Taking its output from 80 titles a year, to a position of having an audio edition of pretty much every print title across its list, Jo has overseen the creation of thousands of audiobooks and partnerships with retailers and publishers, and drove revenues. Now a freelance consultant, she advises on everything audio.


@audioguvnor


Emily Hayward Whitlock The Artists Partnership Head of book to film


Emily Hayward Whitlock is a literary agent represent- ing screenwriters, play- wrights, directors and book rights for film, TV


and theatre adaptations. She joined The Artists Partnership in 2015. She has recently struck deals for Very British Problems (Channel 4), Pure by Rose Bretecher (Channel 4/Drama Republic), Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Hello Sunshine) and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by


@elizafilby


Balli Kaur Jaswal (Film4/Scott Free). @theapartnership


Nathan Hull Bookchoice


Chief commercial and content officer


Nathan is chief commer- cial and content officer at Bookchoice, a curated dig- ital book boutique offer- ing users eight e-books


and audiobooks a month for an afford- able flat rate; its selection is curated in- house and the service looks to attract new readers via brand partnerships. Nathan manages the company’s inter- national expansion, with a focus on the platform’s content and commercial partnership deals.


@nmjcoveney


Siôn Hamilton Change agent


Siôn is a coach, problem- solver and change agent, with over 15 years’ experi- ence in bookselling. He was the trading director at


Foyles and has extensive operational experience, from shop-floor to director level. He used this knowledge, along with his love of research and writing, when working on projects such as the transformation of Foyles’ flagship store. He is passionate about authentic cus- tomer service, and how the interactions we have, and the physical space they happen in, help shape who we are.


@amanreading


Rebecca Davies Urban Outfiters E urope Tech, vinyl and book buyer


Rebecca is responsible for the books, vinyl and tech ranges at Urban Outfitters Europe. The high-street fashion chain mixes trend-


led own-brand products with an edit of brands tailored to its young customer base; with 50 shops across 10 countries in Europe, the lifestyle brand has paved the way for cross-merchandising prod- uct and it has developed into one of the biggest non-traditional booksellers in the gifting market.


Rebecca Herrmann Bolinda


Founder and co-c.e.o.


Rebecca is an Austra- lian entrepreneur, businesswoman and one of the first


unabridged audiobook publish- ers in the world. Publisher and co-c.e.o. of Bolinda, the world’s largest independent audiobook company, Rebecca is widely rec- ognised as a pioneer and inno- vator in the audiobook industry. She founded Bolinda in 1990 and is among the world’s leading audiobook publishers and evangelists.


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