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Penguin Random House U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh to Step Down

Madeline McIntosh will step down as CEO of Penguin Random House (PRH) U.S., she announced Tuesday. McIntosh wrote in a memo to staff that she would stay in place for a transition period, during which she’d work closely with Nihar Malaviya, the interim CEO of PRH Worldwide, to determine a plan for the U.S. organization going forward.

“I don’t think CEOs should stay in their seats forever,” wrote McIntosh, who has led the country’s largest publisher since 2018 and worked for it for nearly 30 years. “Fresh perspectives can be incredibly healthy.”

She added: “The other reason is just about me and my own approach to professional growth. Even though I’ve spent so much of my life in a single company, my path through books has never been linear.”

McIntosh’s departure comes on the heels of other recent high-level management changes at PRH. In December, Markus Dohle stepped down as CEO of PRH Worldwide, and was replaced on an interim basis by Malaviya. That came in the wake of the failure of PRH’s deal to acquire Simon & Schuster. And earlier this month, Gina Centrello, the president of Random House, announced she would retire.