Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Appoints Ellen Archer as President, HMH Trade Publishing

NEW YORK – Global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the appointment of Ellen Archer as President of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing. Reporting directly to CEO Linda Zecher, Archer will drive the strategic growth and expansion of the Company’s consumer publishing business – home to iconic properties, brands and authors from Curious George to The Hobbit to CliffsNotes. Archer will assume the role currently held by President Gary Gentel, who will retire in 2016.

“For almost a decade, Gary Gentel has led HMH Trade Publishing, spearheading our transition into new media and channels, while building our legacy of award-winning content and authors,” said HMH President and CEO Linda Zecher. “His leadership has resulted in revenue growth of over 60% for HMH Trade, earning him the respect of his team, the entire HMH business, and his peers across the industry. He will be missed by all.”

Throughout his twelve year tenure, Gary has led numerous transformative projects and initiatives that have made the business what it is today, from the merger and integration of  Houghton Mifflin and Harcourt in 2007 to the acquisition of the Wiley business and the subsequent expansion of HMH’s culinary and reference lines.

Ellen Archer will assume the role of President on December 7, 2015. An experienced leader in publishing, consumer brands and multimedia, Archer spent 15 years at The Disney ABC Television Group. For five years she was President and Publisher of Hyperion Books, then a division of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for building the company's digital business, spearheading cross-platform initiatives, and releasing over 100 New York Times bestsellers. Most recently, Archer consulted for start-ups and non-profits, providing strategic advice in content development, marketing, and business planning.

“It remains an exciting time for our Trade business,” added Zecher. “I’m thrilled that Ellen has agreed to join us as we continue to leverage the connection between our core education business and our consumer publishing business, expanding into new genres, further developing our brands and properties, and delivering content in new ways and to new audiences.”

“HMH is home to an incredibly rich collection of iconic assets and award-winning content,” said Archer. “I’m proud to join this team, to continue to grow and expand our offering for lifelong learners, and to help leverage these properties in new and exciting ways, driving inspiration and curiosity in the home, in the classroom, and beyond.”

Archer holds a BA in English Literature from Hamilton College, Clinton, NY. She serves on the Foundation Board of New York Women in Communications and is a member of The Women’s Forum of New York and Golden Seeds, an early stage investment firm with a focus on women leaders. Archer will be based primarily in the Company’s New York office, but will divide her time between New York and HMH’s headquarters in Boston.

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About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global learning company dedicated to changing people’s lives by fostering passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of pre-K–12 education content, services, and cutting-edge technology solutions across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a changing landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging and effective educational content and experiences from early childhood to beyond the classroom.  HMH serves more than 50 million students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing

For nearly two centuries, HMH Trade Publishing has published some of the world’s most renowned novels, nonfiction, children’s books, and reference works. As part of a leading global learning company, it is uniquely positioned to create educational and entertaining content for multiple channels and in various formats, from hardcovers and paperbacks to e-books and mobile apps. Its distinguished author list includes ten Nobel Prize winners, forty-eight Pulitzer Prize winners, fifteen National Book Award winners, and more than one hundred Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O'Brien, and Umberto Eco, and a celebrated roster of children’s authors and illustrators including Lois Lowry, Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner. HMH is also home to The Best American series®; The American Heritage® and Webster’s New World® dictionaries; Betty Crocker®, Better Homes and Gardens®, How to Cook Everything®, The Gourmet Cookbook, and other leading culinary properties; the Peterson Field Guides®; CliffsNotes™; books by J.R.R. Tolkien; and many iconic children’s books and characters, including Curious George®, The Little Prince, and The Polar Express. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com/popular-reading.

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