Scholastic Announces Strategic Integration of Trade Publishing, Book Fairs and Book Clubs as New Children's Book Group to Expand Reach and Value of Scholastic Publishing

Rhea-AI Summary

Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) announced a strategic reorganization, merging its Trade Publishing, Book Fairs, and Book Clubs divisions into a unified Children's Book Group, effective June 1, 2025. Sasha Quinton, current School Reading Events President, will lead the new group as Executive Vice President and President. The company also appointed Jackie De Leo, former Barnes & Noble Chief Merchandising Officer, as Publisher and Chief Merchant, starting June 2, 2025.

The integration aims to enhance Scholastic's content strategy and IP value across all channels. Under Quinton's previous leadership, Book Clubs and Book Fairs achieved significant profitability gains, including record revenue per fair. De Leo brings over 25 years of industry experience, having played a key role in Barnes & Noble's resurgence. Further details about the reorganization and strategic outlook will be shared with fiscal 2025 results in July.

Insights

Publishing Industry Analyst

Scholastic's strategic reorganization consolidates operations under unified leadership, enhancing content strategy while aligning publishing with distribution channels.

Scholastic's integration of Trade Publishing, Book Fairs, and Book Clubs into a unified Children's Book Group represents a significant strategic shift designed to maximize operational synergies across its publishing and distribution channels. This consolidation comes after Sasha Quinton demonstrated success leading the School Reading Events division, where she achieved substantial profitability gains and record revenue per fair.

The restructuring creates a more cohesive approach to content creation and distribution, potentially enabling more efficient monetization of intellectual property across multiple channels. By breaking down silos between editorial, distribution, and merchandising, Scholastic aims to strengthen its 360-degree IP strategy in collaboration with its entertainment division.

The appointment of Jackie De Leo as Publisher and Chief Merchant is particularly noteworthy. Her experience at Barnes & Noble during its turnaround period brings valuable merchandising expertise that could enhance Scholastic's ability to respond to market trends. The newly created role uniquely combines editorial direction with merchandising strategy – an unconventional approach that leverages Scholastic's unique position as both publisher and distributor.

This reorganization appears focused on bolstering Scholastic's competitive advantage in children's publishing by creating a more coordinated approach to developing and distributing content. The timing aligns with industry trends toward integrated content strategies that maximize IP value across multiple platforms and distribution channels.

Sasha Quinton, Current School Reading Events President, to Lead Scholastic Children's Book Group

Jackie De Leo, Leader During Barnes & Noble's Transformation, Joins Scholastic as Publisher & Chief Merchant

NEW YORK, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company, today announced the strategic integration of its Trade Publishing, Book Fairs and Book Clubs divisions into a new, combined Children's Book Group, under the leadership of Sasha Quinton, effective June 1, 2025. The reorganization best positions Scholastic's publishing to reach even more kids through a cohesive approach across all its channels.

Scholastic President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Warwick said, "Scholastic's ability to work seamlessly across media, publishing and distribution has never been more important to maximizing the value of our IP and ensuring that the work of our authors and illustrators connects to readers. It's an exciting time for the Company and we're eager for this next advancement of our content strategy, solidifying that Scholastic-published and produced stories and characters are part of children's lives generation after generation."

As President, School Reading Events, Ms. Quinton led substantial gains in profitability across Book Clubs and Book Fairs, including record revenue per fair through a strong focus on kid-first marketing and merchandising. She now steps into a newly created role of Executive Vice President and President, Scholastic Children's Book Group, expanding her portfolio to include Trade Publishing. She will continue to report to Mr. Warwick while working closely with Iole Lucchese, Chief Strategy Officer and President, Scholastic Entertainment, to bolster the Company's 360-degree IP creation strategy by opening up pathways between editorial, distribution and merchandising.

Ms. Quinton stated, "I am excited and honored to lead Scholastic's talented children's book publishing and distribution teams. Each of these groups is dedicated to reaching every child, as well as listening to what they want to read – an area in which Scholastic has unrivaled insight. Our new collaborative structure unlocks our potential to meet kids where they are – whether through book retailers, school-based fairs and clubs or on screens with our media peers. This will strengthen and maintain our leading position in children's publishing with an iconic backlist, while creating beloved new stories and characters the world has yet to meet."

As part of this growth-focused integration, Jackie De Leo joins Scholastic Children's Book Group as Publisher and Chief Merchant, based in New York and reporting to Ms. Quinton, starting June 2, 2025. This first-of-its-kind role for the company brings editorial and curation together in a new way that is uniquely possible at Scholastic. Ms. De Leo will be responsible for continuing Scholastic's renowned reputation for publishing high-quality and engaging books, while growing opportunities and reach for all IP.

Ms. De Leo is a well-known leader in the trade publishing and bookselling community. Her career spans more than 25 years across key areas of the industry. In her most recent position as Chief Merchandising Officer for Barnes & Noble, she oversaw purchasing, assortment development and marketing during a pivotal era of resurgence for the retailer. She has also held senior roles at Disney Book Group and Readerlink, among others.

The Company expects to provide further details on the organization and strategic outlook for its Children's Book Group, including when it reports its fiscal 2025 results and fiscal 2026 outlook this coming July.

About Scholastic

For more than 100 years, Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) has been meeting children where they are – at school, at home and in their communities – by creating quality content and experiences, all beginning with literacy. Scholastic delivers stories, characters, and learning moments that empower all kids to become lifelong readers and learners through bestselling children's books, literacy- and knowledge-building resources for schools including classroom magazines, and award-winning, entertaining children's media. As the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online, and with a global reach into more than 135 countries, Scholastic encourages the personal and intellectual growth of all children, while nurturing a lifelong relationship with reading, themselves, and the world around them. Learn more at www.scholastic.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to future periods. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the conditions of the children's book and educational materials markets generally and acceptance of the Company's products within those markets, and other risks and factors identified from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated.

SCHL: Financial

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SOURCE Scholastic Corporation

FAQ

What changes is Scholastic (SCHL) making to its organizational structure in 2025?

Scholastic is integrating its Trade Publishing, Book Fairs, and Book Clubs divisions into a unified Children's Book Group, effective June 1, 2025, under the leadership of Sasha Quinton as Executive Vice President and President.

Who is Jackie De Leo and what will be her role at Scholastic (SCHL)?

Jackie De Leo, former Chief Merchandising Officer at Barnes & Noble, joins Scholastic as Publisher and Chief Merchant of the Children's Book Group on June 2, 2025, bringing over 25 years of industry experience.

What are the expected benefits of Scholastic's (SCHL) reorganization?

The reorganization aims to maximize IP value, enhance content distribution across channels, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen Scholastic's position in children's publishing through a more cohesive approach.

When will Scholastic (SCHL) provide more details about the Children's Book Group reorganization?

Scholastic will provide further details about the Children's Book Group organization and strategic outlook when it reports fiscal 2025 results and fiscal 2026 outlook in July 2025.