Pierre de Cacqueray announces retirement after 29 years at Hachette UK

Matt Wright promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Jo Westbrook steps up to Hachette UK Distribution CEO

10 March 2026, London, UK – Hachette UK today announced the retirement of Group Finance Director, Pierre de Cacqueray, along with the news that Matt Wright has been appointed as his successor, and Jo Westbrook’s promotion will make her the first female CEO of a book supply chain business.

Wright returns to this publishing-focused role after 16 years leading the Distribution team, during which time he transformed the business and led the 2018 opening of the state-of- the-art Hely Hutchinson Centre (HHC), the largest single investment in the UK book distribution market. More recently, his team have won two Supply Chain Excellence awards, welcomed client publishers such as Bloomsbury, Taylor & Francis, Thames & Hudson, Quarto, and Lonely Planet, and achieved record-breaking success. Wright first joined Hachette in 1999 as Finance Director for Hodder Children’s Books. He will continue to report to David Shelley, the CEO of Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group.

Jo Westbrook joined Hachette UK Distribution in 2014 following senior roles at Entertainment UK and Compass Group. She steps up to be Hachette UK Distribution’s CEO on 01 April 2026, the same day that Mike Shoults becomes CEO of Hachette Book Group Distribution in the US. They will continue to report to Matt Wright, who, in his new role as Chief Financial Officer for Hachette UK, will continue to oversee the development of the UK and US distribution businesses.

David Shelley, CEO Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group US, said: ‘I would like to pay tribute to Pierre, who has had an immeasurable impact on Hachette in his 29 years here, and has truly helped shape our group. On a personal level, he has been a brilliant business partner for the past nine years and I have so appreciated his vast expertise, his precision, and his humour. We all wish him a very happy and fulfilling retirement, and a rewarding next chapter.

Matt Wright has done a remarkable job leading our Distribution business for the past 16 years. He has grown and developed it, and has shown a terrific mixture of commercial acumen, strategic flair and humanity. I am extremely excited to be working with him even more closely in his new role as Group CFO and can think of no one more capable of taking on the baton from Pierre.

I also wanted to congratulate Jo who has led the operations at Hachette UK Distribution so successfully, and whose dynamism and determination to give 100% to our authors, client publishers and booksellers has always marked her out, as has her leadership of the remarkable team at HUK Distribution. I am thrilled that she will be stepping up as CEO.’

Pierre de Cacqueray joined Hachette Livre in France in 1997 as Deputy to the Group Finance Director and, after having worked on the acquisition of The Orion Publishing Group in 1998, relocated to London in 1999. Since then, he has worked on multiple acquisitions, helping establish Hachette as a significant publisher and a well-recognised brand in the UK, including Hodder Headline (2004), Little, Brown (2005), Laurence King (2020) and Welbeck (2022). In this time, Pierre created an integrated finance department that serves 10 divisions and collaborates with Hachette’s global teams. His retirement in

June 2026 will mark his return to France first and the start of volunteer work overseas. Pierre de Cacqueray said: ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed all these years at Hachette. When I joined the Group in France in 1997, it was a very big and respected French publisher, keen to grow internationally. Orion was our first opportunity to acquire a foothold in the English- speaking publishing world and we built upon it. With the acquisition of Hodder Headline, Hachette changed gear and became a major player in the UK. I am proud of what it has become through the stewardship of Tim Hely Hutchinson first and then David Shelley, who have been great bosses for me , and I am delighted to be passing the baton to Matt Wright as I retire.’

Matt Wright said: ‘I am incredibly proud to be stepping up to become CFO of Hachette UK at such an exciting time for the business. Having led our distribution businesses in the UK and US, I remain deeply committed to their continued strength and success, and I could not be more excited for Jo Westbrook and Mike Shoults as they become CEOs of the UK and US distribution businesses, respectively. I have every confidence they will lead them brilliantly into the future and, together, we will continue to build a dynamic, ambitious business that supports creativity, growth, and long-term success.’

Jo Westbrook said: ‘Our team truly are the best in the business, so I am deeply honoured to lead them in this new role as we continue to deliver the very best distribution services. Working closely with our publishers, booksellers, and partners is a real privilege, and the progress we’ve made together has been remarkable. I’d also like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Matt on his new appointment. He has been such an important part of my journey over the years, and I’m genuinely delighted that we’ll continue to work together in this next chapter.’