Hachette UK appoints Bethan Ferguson as Head of Consumer Insight

Hachette UK has appointed Bethan Ferguson as Head of Consumer Insight. She will take up the role in July 2022, based at Hachette UK’s headquarters in Carmelite House, and report to Doyel Maitra, Group Communications Director, whose role has been expanded to include Consumer Insight.

Ferguson is currently Marketing Director at Quercus, one of Hachette UK’s publishing divisions. She joined Quercus in 2011 and has worked on Elly Griffiths, Peter May, Beth O’Leary, Layla Saad and the Famous Five for Grown Ups. Prior to joining Quercus, she was Brand Manager at Mills & Boon. She started her career as a corporate lawyer, before moving into publishing.

Bethan Ferguson said: “I have loved my time at Quercus and I am incredibly grateful to my wonderful boss, Jon Butler, and the whole team there for a brilliant ten years, during which I have had the privilege of working on their amazing lists, bursting with talented authors. I am thrilled to be working with Doyel and heading up our new Consumer Insight team as part of Hachette’s drive to better understand and publish for all consumers, and excited about the pivotal role that insight can play in that mission.”

Doyel Maitra said: “Understanding consumers is at the heart of Hachette’s mission and we want our new Consumer Insight team to support our brilliant publishers to deepen and diversify their understanding of the market even further and reach more readers as a result.

“Bethan stood out during a very competitive recruitment process because she approached every question with a unique combination of head and heart. She has boundless intellectual curiosity, a deep love of publishing that doesn’t preclude her from seeing its challenges, strong relationships at all levels of our business, and a data-driven approach to marketing that has already turned the Feminist Book Box – a Hachette-wide initiative that she co-led and launched – into a huge success. I can’t wait to start working with Bethan, and the team she recruits, to shape the future of Consumer Insight at Hachette.”

Jon Butler, MD of Quercus, said: ‘I’m gilding the lily here I know, but I don’t care, she deserves it: Bethan is whip-smart, passionate about good publishing and hugely talented in her ability to reach new readerships. I couldn’t be prouder of Bethan, both for the huge contribution she’s made to the success of Quercus over the last ten years – and for securing this pivotal role at the heart of Hachette.’

David Shelley, CEO of Hachette UK, said: “I am thrilled that Bethan will be leading our Consumer Insight team. Bethan has done incredible creative work at Quercus and with the Feminist Book Box, and I know she and her new team will help us get closer to the readers we serve and understand their needs better.”