Gawker
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markus dohle
Panic At Random House
The Post's Keith Kelly reports on how the literati at Random House are reacting to their new, German technocrat overlord: with abject terror. "People are panicking and saying it couldn't be worse... On the face of it, it looks like the guy is a complete production bean counter. It doesn't look hopeful that he'll share the romantic idea of literature and publishing." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal elicited this tart quote from Bertelsmann CEO Hartmut Ostrowski on the departure of the previous Random House chief, Peter Olson, who recently recovered from a rough bout with pneumonia: "He wanted a new life, and we agreed." Cold.
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By Ryan TateComment by a boy and his dog: The first thing the Germans did when they took over Random House was to raise the entry-level salary (significantly), increase... more » | Other threads
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books
New Random House Chief To Make Publishing Even Less Sexy
Meet Markus Dohle, the new CEO of Random House. His previous job was retooling Bertelsmann AG's printing plants to repair mobile phones, generate billing statements and warehouse pills. In case that's not unglamorous enough on its own, note that Dohle is following in the footsteps of Peter Olson, who while considered a tough-talking bean counter was also a former lawyer and banker fluent in three languages, not to mention a voracious reader. Dohle seems to want to move beyond the rarefied club of literary publishing into more practical, money-making endeavors; according to the Wall Street Journal, which broke news of his appointment this morning citing anonymous sources, he is interested in expanding education services, among other things. Having turned Bertelsmann's publishing division into a "growth engine" and with no obvious emotional attachment to high-minded writing per se, Dohle should be the ruthless numbers man Olson always fancied himself but could never actually become. [WSJ]
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By Ryan TateComment by Rooo sez BISH PLZ: Whew. Anagrammatic ridicule to lessen the sting of the inexorable advance of Bertelsmann global domination in 3 ... 2... more » | Other threads
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peter olson
Brutal Publishing Exec Really A Wimp
Peter Olson of Random House fixed his reputation in the publishing industry when he displayed a smirking glee at the number of editors he'd fired. (Never let Lynn Hirschberg of the Times follow you around.) However, the outgoing Random House boss may have combined the worst of all management styles: a callous public persona and decision-making weakness. Intelligencer notes that Olson let Random House units bid each other up for hot books. "For all of his tough talk, the proud and cerebral Olson was never a real enforcer."- Previously: Nor did Olson call the shots at home
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By Nick DentonComment by ShavedbyJesus: Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you choose to accept....is to this time self destruct with the tape in 5 seconds.... more » | Other threads
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peter olson
How 'Best Mommy Of Park Avenue' Secured More Quality Time With Random House Hubby
Peter Olson—widely reported to be stepping down from Random House after a debilitating bout of pneumonia—doesn't get much sympathy in the publishing industry. Here's how the publishing giant's chief executive will be remembered: as a money-minded philistine who's fallen victim to the same financial accountability he tried to instill at Bertelsmann's US book producing factory. But there is one endearing angle to Olson's comeuppance: his departure may have been dictated less by Bertelsmann's Teutonic board members than Olson's formidable wife, Candice.
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By Nick DentonComment by cyanidecygnet: @Hamud Ibn Hamud: neither, actually. I just like the dude. more » | Other threads
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peter olson
Ousted Random House Publisher Short Of Own Yardstick
Despite his illness, it sounds like there was some schadenfreude surrounding the departure of Peter Olson: "Olson may be best remembered in the publishing industry for abruptly dismissing the president of the Random House Trade Group, Ann Godoff, in 2003. He said in a news release that she ran the only unit 'to consistently fall short of their profitability targets.' Now, Mr. Olson appears to have fallen victim to that same bottom-line calculus." [Times] -
peter olson
Olson Out
Random House chief Peter Olson will step down in the next few weeks, according to an unsourced report posted to the New York Times website. An illness—said by Publishers Weekly to be double pneumonia—had left the publishing exec "distracted and unavailable" for months. Olson, who has five children including two adopted from Eastern Europe, married the founder of the iVillage website for women, Candice Carpenter, in 2001. (One tipster says his forceful wife refused to allow contact by Random House's German owners while Olson was sick.)
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By Nick DentonComment by Tiraspol Groom: That's really sad. I hear the publishing world loved him. more » | Other threads
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ann godoff
Random House president fired
Ann Godoff, president of Bertelsmann's Random House division, was fired Thursday for failing to meet profitability goals and the details are just coming out. Her division generated more best-sellers than any other, but the group's net income of $2 million was $4 million short of CEO Peter Olson's target. It didn't help that Godoff had alienated key executives and had no staunch defenders among the other division heads. More »
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