From an editor-in-chief to a chief information officer, from a publisher of children’s books to a vice president for business development, the media executives joining the faculty of NYU’s Master of Science in Publishing program next spring and summer represent some of the leading figures in the industry. Read on to learn more about the talented and eclectic group that students will soon meet in the classroom:
Peter Balis (New Media Technology: From Mobile to E-Books) is Director of Digital Content Sales for John Wiley & Sons where he is responsible for business development and the management of electronic sales and production including projects related to e-Books, POD, mobile applications, and digital licensing. Previously, he was Director of Online Sales for John Wiley & Sons. Peter received his undergraduate degree from N.Y.U. and his graduate degree from SMU.
Justin Chanda (Children’s Book Publishing) is Vice President and Publisher for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and Margaret K. McElderry Books. As editorial head, Justin is responsible for three children’s imprints that span every age range. He has also worked as an executive editor at Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins.Justin received his B.A. from New York University.
Debi Chirichella (Web Financials and Analytics) is Chief Operating Officer of Condé Nast Digital where she is responsible for finance, revenue operations, product management and planning, development and web hosting. Previously, she was Chief Financial Officer for Condé Nast Digital. Her extensive financial background includes positions in strategic planning and corporate development at Primedia Corporation. She holds an M.B.A from The Graduate School of Business at Harvard University.
Andrea Colvin (Editorial Fundamentals: Copyediting, Proofreading and Fact Checking) is Managing Editor of Open Road Integrated Media. She was previously a Production Editor for the Penguin Group, a freelance writer and copy editor working with the San Francisco Chronicle, Peachpit Press and Adobe Magazine. She received her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire.
Joseph Galarneau (Web Project Management) is Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Information Officer at Newsweek. Previously, he was Chief Technology Officer at Thomas Publishing and at New York Magazine and has also spent 15 years in editorial, advertising, production and IT functions in the newspaper industry. He earned his M.B.A from Duke University.
Stephen Lathroum (Mastering Management and Leadership) is Vice President of Business Development & Operations for Scholastic Marketing Partners responsible for the strategic development and operations of the division. Previously, he was director of business development for the consumer marketing group. He has also held senior managerial positions at Newsweek, Primedia, and TV Guide. He holds an M.B.A from Cornell.
Geoff Shandler (Advanced Book Editing) is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Little Brown & Co; his editorial experience includes positions as Executive Editor of Little Brown & Co, Executive Editor of Perseus book Group, as well as Senior Editor at Random House. He holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard University.
Cathie Toohey (Educational Publishing) is a Principal of the Toohey Group, a consulting company specializing in business and marketing for educational publishers. Previously, she was Vice President of Marketing for the Education Group at Scholastic and Director of Product Planning and Teacher Training at Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. A former Director of Admission and primary school teacher, she holds a graduate degree in education from The University of California at Irvine.