Members of the Mexican press at an IPA news conference in Guadalajara, prior to the opening of the IPA International Publishers Congress, December 2024. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Committee Membership Changes
As Gvantsa Jobava continues settling into her new two-year tenure as president of the International Publishers Association (IPA)—the role in which she has succeeded Karine Pansa—the organization’s offices in Geneva have announced today (February 26) several adjustments in leadership in its key committee structure.
The organization’s numbers this year stand at 105 member-associations based in 84 countries, and its 2025 Prix Voltaire program has just closed its nominations period, with the June 2-and-3 World Expression Forum, called WEXFO, at Lillehammer, as the planned venue for this year’s winner announcement.
John McKay
On the Freedom to Publish committee, under the auspices of which the Prix Voltaire is directed by James Taylor, John McKay, senior vice-president at the Association of American Publishers (AAP) succeeds the AAP’s Matt Stratton.
Kristenn Einarsson, chair of the Freedom to Publish committee and the founding CEO of WEXFO, has welcomed McKay to his committee role, saying, “John McKay brings a great depth of experience to his new position.
Given the proliferation around the world of threats to the freedom to publish, he is a very welcome addition to our committee.”
Paulo Oliveira
On the executive committee, Portugal’s Paulo Oliveira of Grupo Porto Editora and Grupo Bertrand Círculo, takes the seat vacated when Pedro Sobral of LeYa died in December.
Sobral was cycling in the Belém district of Lisbon when he was hit by a car and died at the scene, as reported in Lisbon.
The publishing company he had founded, LeYa, released a statement, saying in part that Sobral’s loss “represents insurmountable damage not only for all those who worked closely with him, but also for those connected to the book sector, namely publishers, writers, booksellers, and readers.”
Gvantsa Jobava
Jobava, speaking for the organization, said, “We were all shocked and crestfallen to lose Pedro Sobral in December.
“His insights were always valuable and he brought his warm friendship to our meetings.
“While we would of course prefer different circumstances, we welcome Paulo Oliveira to our executive committee and look forward to working with him.”
Pedro Sobral, who was the president of the Portuguese publishers’ association, APEL, was 51.
Giovanni Hoepli of Hoepli Publishing House in Milan, was elected IPA’s vice-president at the organization’s general assembly in 2024, and decided to leave his seat as chair of the IPA membership committee to focus on his new role.
Catherine Blache
Catherine Blache, senior counselor for international policy with the French publishers’ association—the Syndicat national de l’édition—has been elected, by a vote of the membership committee, to succeed Hoepli as chair.
In a comment on the news that Blache will succeed him, Oliveira says, “My time as a member and chair of the committee was extremely rewarding and a great insight into the value that IPA offers its members and prospective members.
“The committee will be in great hands under Catherine’s leadership.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on the International Publishers Association is here.
Publishing Perspectives is the International Publishers Association’s world media partner.