The newly created position is part of an ongoing investment in ensuring the global vitality of PUP’s entire publishing program, new publications, and long-life IP alike. Wilkins’s pivot to financial operations comes alongside a wider strategic refocus that includes building active pathways for North American independent bookseller engagement.
Princeton University Press is pleased to announce that Director of North American Sales Tim Wilkins will become PUP’s Director of Finance, Sales. This newly created role will lead an analytics-focused financial strategy for the Press’s global sales team and is a core component of an ongoing strategic investment in PUP’s long-life intellectual property.
Core to the position’s remit is driving an ambitious sales and marketing strategy for the Press’s extensive and engaging backlist. As Director of Finance, Sales, Wilkins will leverage data to inform long-life intellectual property sales opportunities and advise marketing, sales, editorial, production, and creative media teams on opportunities to expand discoverability, engagement, and evolution, including repackaging.
Across the Press’s publications portfolio, Wilkins will conduct cross-channel and cross-account analysis and forecasting, to ensure nimble marketplace responsiveness. He will also collaborate closely with Barry Koen, the Press’s Inventory and Sales Operations Manager, on inventory planning and management; with Colleen Suljic, in her newly expanded role as Chief of Digital Marketing and D2C Sales; and will engage with the wider sales and financial operations teams to optimize processes for sales forecasting. Wilkins will manage PUP’s engagement with backlist-focused vendor partners and—alongside Chief Financial Officer Scot Kuehm, to whom he will report—and will have strategic oversight of distribution partnerships.
Wilkins, who joined Princeton University Press as Sales Assistant in 1999, is known among colleagues the world over for a sharp analytic skillset, his broad knowledge of PUP’s list, and his savvy employment of reporting tools to drive data-inclusive strategic planning. He has been a vital leader of PUP sales strategy over decades of unprecedented global growth and impact and has expanded relations with independent bookstores and the community of bookselling. This new role amplifies Wilkins’s strategic contributions to the Press’s wellbeing by expanding time and analysis on the enduring impact of our publishing.
Of the new role, Wilkins notes, “I’m excited for the opportunity to prioritize strategic engagement with PUP’s rich backlist, where Anne Carson meets Albert Einstein, and opportunities abound for introducing new readers to enduring books.”
Kuehm adds, “We are so fortunate to have Tim Wilkins exceptional market and institutional knowledge focused on this exciting new initiative. We have always prided ourselves on the care given to the long life of our IP and this takes that care to the next level.”
As Wilkins moves into his new role, several other strategic shifts will work in concert to support sales diversification and prioritize enduring relationships with independent booksellers.
Midwest Sales Rep Lanora Jennings is promoted to Manager of Indie Relations and Marketing and Midwest Rep and will work to grow relationships with independent bookstores across North America, while continuing her regional sales oversight. Field and Special Sales Associate Corrynn Johnson will become a point of contact for coordinating new store account set up. Northeast Sales Rep Karen Corvello will expand her regional sales focus to assume work on special sales accounts. As a new member of the Independent Publishers Caucus (IPC), and ongoing supporter of the IPC’s Books Across Borders program, we’re thrilled to be able to expand this focus on engaging the vital network of indie booksellers.
Adds Katie Hope, Director of Marketing and Sales, “With our commitment to continuously evolve and align our strengths and resources to adapt to the changing book sales ecosystem, and to best optimize our outstanding publications program, we have invested considerably in diversifying sales channels, expanding direct-to consumer (D2C) sales via press.princeton.edu, now among our most vibrant sales channels, and developing the independent bookstore channel which continues to be vital to our mission and reputation. These changes reflect the strengths of our remarkable colleagues. I’m thrilled about Tim’s new strategic sales advisory and analytics role. His continued collaboration with the Marketing and Sales Department will be pivotal and I am eager to begin the search for the Chief of North American Sales—a crucial position I am excited to fill.”
With realignments underway, PUP will immediately begin the recruitment process for a Chief of North American Sales. This new position will oversee the Press’s incredible rep team, which in addition to Corvello and Jennings includes Publishers Weekly 2024 Sales Rep of the Year Patricia Nelson.
We look ahead with much excitement to new pathways for investing in the community of bookselling and with it, our ambitions to contribute even more to the publishing ecosystem.