Brian Murray. Image: HarperCollins
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Pallante: ‘What a Privilege To Welcome Brian Back’
In an announcement today (February), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) has named HarperCollins president and CEO Brian Murray the association’s board chair for the 2025 and 2026 term.
Murray has been a member of the AAP board since 2008, and was previously elected chair in 2015. He served as an officer from 2014 to 2017 and was a member of the executive committee of the International Publishers Association‘s (IPA) executive committee from 2011 to 2018.
In a statement made today, AAP’s president and CEO Maria A. Pallante is quoted, saying, “What a privilege to welcome Brian back to the role of board chair at this pivotal time for publishing.
Maria A. Pallante
“He’s a highly respected leader in our community and the international publishing industry, and his deep understanding of policy issues will be of great help in the year ahead.”
The board also elected Tyrrell Mahoney, president of Chronicle Books, to the position of vice-chair. Mahoney has served on the board since 2019.
Jeremy North, managing director of books with Books, Taylor & Francis, who has served on the Board since 2015, was re-elected as treasurer.
“Now more than ever, the AAP’s mission to champion outcomes that protect and incentivize creative works is critical.”Brian Murray, HarperCollins
YS Chi, chair of Elsevier, and director of corporate affairs for the RELX Group, will remain an officer as immediate past chair.
“We thank outgoing chair YS Chi,” Pallante said, “for his experienced leadership during the past year
“With YS at the helm, we celebrated significant wins on copyright and freedom of expression, and robustly represented publishers of world-renowned literature, cutting-edge scientific research, and innovative course materials.”
Murray: A ‘Dynamic and Rapidly Evolving Industry’
In a comment on today’s announcement, Murray said, “I’m honored to step into the role of chair and work alongside the exceptional AAP team and board.
“Our dynamic and rapidly evolving industry faces complex challenges—from addressing AI copyright issues to safeguarding freedom of expression. Now more than ever, the AAP’s mission to champion outcomes that protect and incentivize creative works is critical.
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“I’m eager to work together to navigate these challenges and uphold the values we as publishers—and a society—hold dear.”
Members of our international readership will recall that Murray made the trip to Guadalajara in December for the International Publishers Association‘s (IPA) International Publishers Congress there—an event produced by the Mexican publishers’ association CANIEM under Hugo Setzer‘s direction, and substantially supported and assisted by the American association and its staffer members.