Cambridge's Mandy Hill appointed President of the Publishers Association

07 May 2025

Photo of Mandy Hill smiling at camera

Mandy Hill, Managing Director of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, has taken up the post of President of the Publishers Association.

Mandy Hill said: “I’m delighted to be taking up the role of President of the Publishers Association and I’m looking forward to championing the value of publishing in the year ahead. I’m particularly passionate that we communicate the vital role publishing plays in the UK’s soft power and that we continue to advocate that tech companies – and everyone else – must adhere to copyright law and license works they wish to use.”

In addition to copyright and the impact of publishing’s soft power, Mandy Hill’s inaugural speech as President celebrated the importance of academic freedom and promoting facts and evidence in an age of mis and dis-information.  Removing barriers to the flow of ideas via open access initiatives, and championing diverse views and perspectives, including women in leadership, were key issues flagged by Mandy who has led Cambridge University Press since 2014.

The Publishers Association's Chief Executive, Dan Conway

The Publishers Association's Chief Executive, Dan Conway, speaking at PA's AGM

The Publishers Association's Chief Executive, Dan Conway, speaking at PA's AGM

The Publishers Association's Chief Executive, Dan Conway, said: “I’m very much looking forward to working with Mandy over the next year. She’s been an incredible support to the Publishers Association, and I know she’ll be a brilliant advocate for the industry in her role as President.”

Mandy succeeds Perminder Mann, CEO of Simon & Schuster UK, as President, following the Publishers Association's Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Wednesday 7 May at the Royal Society in London.

Panel discussion at AGM. Left to right: Amy Price , Director & Head of Practice for Tech, Media & Telecoms at Public First, Mandy Hill, President of the Publishers Association, Vivienne Stern MBE and Sir Peter Bazalgette.

Publishers Association panel discussion from left to right: Amy Price, Director at Public First, Mandy Hill, President of the Publishers Association, Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK, and Sir Peter Bazalgette, co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council.

Publishers Association panel discussion from left to right: Amy Price, Director at Public First, Mandy Hill, President of the Publishers Association, Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK, and Sir Peter Bazalgette, co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council.

At the AGM, Mandy chaired a panel discussion alongside two members of the UK government's Soft Power Council, Vivienne Stern MBE and Sir Peter Bazalgette, co-Chair of the Creative Industries Council, focused on the PA’s new report, Publishing and soft power: Our contribution to knowledge exchange and cultural collaboration, on the role publishing plays in UK’s international reputation.

Sir Peter set out the enormous opportunity for creative industries including publishing in the year ahead with a reminder that publishing is the industry of tomorrow.

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