July 14, 2014 – Walker Books Australia, a subsidiary of the global Walker Books Group, has announced key management changes to the company:
Effective immediately, current Deputy Managing Director of WBA, Angela Van Den Belt, is now promoted to the position of President, General Manager, and Commercial Director of Walker Books Australia and Walker Books New Zealand. Van Den Belt has been at Walker since 1997, when she began as a sales rep. Since that time she has been instrumental in the founding, development, and growth of WBA as a top distributor of international books and now as an award-winning publisher in its own right.
Alan Lee is now a company director of Walker Books Australia. Based in London, Alan has worked very closely with the team at WBA while they have evolved their own publishing list and practices in his role as Group Production Director.
Working from Candlewick Press in America, Liz Bicknell will take on the additional role of Group Trade Publishing Director, Walker Books Australia to help the talented local team chart the future direction of locally originated publishing in Australia and New Zealand. Bicknell has been Candlewick's associate publisher and editorial director for the past fifteen years, and is responsible for bringing many internationally renowned authors to the global Walker/Candlewick list.
Sue Whiting stays on as WBA Publishing Manager and Maryann Ballantyne continues as Publisher, Black Dog Books. They will jointly report to Bicknell and Van Den Belt.
“I am so pleased that we are able to tap into Angela Van Den Belt’s deep experience of both the Australian children’s publishing marketplace and our company’s global priorities as we go forward into this next chapter of WBA’s development. As an integral part of the leadership team over the past many years, Angela has played a big part in gaining the numerous bestsellers and awards that Walker Books Australia has enjoyed. It has been a very stable company, and this great news gives us both continuity and an exciting new opportunity for Angela to bring her many ideas and insights to the fore. Additionally, having Liz Bicknell and Alan Lee join the Australian management team will give us the ability to bring our uniquely collaborative, global company even closer together,” said Walker Books Group Managing Director, Karen Lotz.
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