Madeline McIntosh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Madeline McIntosh is an American book publishing executive.[1] She served as the chief executive officer of Penguin Random House U.S. from 2018 to 2023, and in 2024 co-founded the independent publisher Authors Equity.[2] She also serves on the board of directors of Simon & Schuster and as president of the board of Poets & Writers.[3]
Madeline McIntosh | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Publishing executive |
| Known for | Former CEO of Penguin Random House U.S.; co-founder of Authors Equity |
Early career
McIntosh studied fine arts at Harvard University and later completed the Radcliffe Publishing Course.[1] She began her career as a temporary assistant to an editor at HarperCollins before moving to W. W. Norton.[1] In 1994, she joined Bantam Doubleday Dell, a division of Bertelsmann, working in its new-media department and setting up the publisher's first account with Amazon.[4]
She later led adult sales for Random House and ran Random House Audio.[4] In 2008 she left to join Amazon in Luxembourg as director of content for the international rollout of the Kindle e-reader, returning to Random House about a year and a half later as president of sales, operations, and digital.[5]
Penguin Random House
Following the 2013 merger of Penguin and Random House, McIntosh was named chief executive of the combined company's U.S. business in 2018.[5] Under her leadership, Penguin Random House expanded its data-driven marketing, invested in warehouse infrastructure, and acquired a 45 percent stake in the independent publisher Sourcebooks.[1]
McIntosh announced her resignation in January 2023, weeks after global CEO Markus Dohle also departed.[6][5]
Authors Equity
In 2024, McIntosh launched Authors Equity with co-founders Don Weisberg, former CEO of Macmillan Publishers, and Nina von Moltke, former president of strategic development at Penguin Random House.[2] The company offers no advances but pays authors a majority share of each book's profits, with a lean staff supplemented by freelance editors, publicists, and marketers.[7] Early investors include authors James Clear, Tim Ferriss, and Louise Penny.[8] Distribution is handled by Simon & Schuster.[8]
Other roles
In December 2023, McIntosh was named an independent director on the newly formed board of Simon & Schuster, following the publisher's acquisition by private equity firm KKR.[3] She is also president of the board of directors of the literary nonprofit Poets & Writers.[3]