Springer Nature creates new global Policy & External Relations and Communications teams

New York | Heidelberg, 1 July 2015

Springer Nature has created a new Policy & External Relations team as well as a combined Communications team to work in the recently-merged organisation. The two teams have global responsibility and will be led by Eric Merkel-Sobotta and Joyce Lorigan respectively. Both will report to Derk Haank, CEO of Springer Nature.

Springer Nature was formed in May 2015 from the merger of the majority of Macmillan Science and Education with Springer Science+Business Media. The expertise and experience in the former Springer and Macmillan communications teams presents the opportunity to create industry-leading centres in the two areas of policy and communications, who will contribute to Springer Nature’s goal of serving a wide range of stakeholders and helping them to discover more.

The Policy & External Relations team will have responsibility for policy and public affairs, sponsorship, corporate social responsibility and government and industry relations. The team will ensure that Springer Nature’s policy interests in its three publishing areas of science, education and professional are represented and protected. Annika Dirks, Director Public Affairs, and Ruth Francis, Manager Policy & External Relations, will report directly to Eric Merkel-Sobotta in his new role as EVP Policy & External Relations.

The Communications team will set the global communications strategy for Springer Nature, with hubs in the USA, China and Europe. Its remit will include brand strategy and management; corporate communications, internal communications, digital communications strategy and channels management. This 40 strong team will report directly to Joyce Lorigan in her new role as EVP Communications.

Notes for Editors

Springer Nature is a major new force in scientific, scholarly, professional and educational publishing. By using its combined expertise, scale and the reach of our brands, the company aims to grow and innovate in order to better serve academic researchers, students, teachers, institutions, professionals and the wider public by helping them discover more. Springer Nature was created through the combination of Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media in May 2015. This strategic merger brought together these dynamic publishing houses with more than 170 years of history behind them, as well as complementary geographic footprints and brand portfolios, a track record of creativity and innovation, and a shared vision to advance knowledge and learning around the world. The company numbers almost 13,000 staff in over 50 countries and has a turnover of approximately EUR 1.5 billion.