Penguin Random House CFO turns new leaf with Pearson move

PEARSON GROUP, which owns the Financial Times, has appointed Penguin Random House finance chief Coram Williams as CFO.

Prior to the creation of book publisher Penguin Random House, Williams spent five years as Penguin’s CFO, and held a variety of other finance roles at the company having joined in 2002.

Williams will join the education services provider as CFO-designate on 1 July, and succeed Robin Freestone as CFO on 1 August, when he will also replace Freestone on the Pearson board as an executive director. Pearson announced on 24 October 2014 that Freestone would stand down before the end of 2015.

Pearson chairman Glen Moreno said: “Coram has a strong track record at both Pearson and Penguin Random House, and is held in high regard by the Pearson board and management team.

“I am confident he will become a trusted and valued partner to our shareholders and other stakeholders as we continue to build Pearson for long term growth.”

Williams said: “As the firm becomes more focused on education services and digital tools that lead to better outcomes, we have a significant opportunity to grow our business and reshape our operations, while also helping our customers and learners to manage that transition.”