Penguin Random House’s Rebecca Sinclair appointed Honorary Professor at City St George’s, University of London

Rebecca Sinclair, Chief Brand Officer at Penguin Random House UK, has been appointed Honorary Professor in the Department of Publishing at City St George’s, University of London.

At Penguin Random House, which is the UK’s largest book publisher, Rebecca leads brand strategy, corporate reputation, social impact and digital marketing. She also serves as President of The Publishers Association and leads Penguin Random House’s work to widen access to books and reading, including Lit in Colour and Libraries for Primaries.

As Honorary Professor, Rebecca will contribute two lectures each year to Creative Writing and Publishing students, focusing on industry trends, reading for pleasure, freedom of expression and the social role of publishing. She will provide annual curriculum insight, helping programme teams respond to developments in a rapidly changing global industry.

Rebecca will further connect students and staff with her industry network, creating opportunities for guest speakers, live projects and specialist input on areas including AI in publishing, sustainability, protecting freedom of expression and the freedom to read, copyright protection and new readership strategies.

Rebecca’s appointment will further strengthen the Department of Publishing’s close engagement with the publishing industry and provide students with direct insight into the opportunities and challenges shaping the sector.

City St George’s is the University of business, practice and the professions and is committed to training its students to the changing needs of industry. By connecting students with senior industry practitioners and professional networks, the partnership will help create meaningful career pathways into publishing for a diverse student body.

Rebecca’s work to widen access to books and reading, champion reading for pleasure and support a more representative publishing industry also aligns closely with the Department’s commitment to widening participation in the sector and ensuring that students can see routes into careers across publishing.

Deputy Programme Director Eric Huang, said:

Rebecca Sinclair brings a huge amount of publishing experience and a longstanding commitment to supporting the next generation of talent.

Her appointment will enrich our programmes by broadening student opportunities, strengthening connections between the classroom and the office, and opening doors to careers across the industry.

Dr Patrick Brindle, Programme Director for the MAs in Publishing, International Publishing, and Creative Writing & Publishing added:

I'm thrilled that Rebecca Sinclair will be our next Honorary Professor.

Her deep knowledge of the publishing industry, her energy and her passion will be an inspiration for our publishing students.

I can’t wait to work with Rebecca in the coming months and years on some really exciting talks and events for our students.

Rebecca brings 25 years of experience across publishing, communications, marketing and brand leadership, with significant global experience. Before joining Penguin Random House UK, she held senior roles at Pearson, including Corporate Affairs Director of Pearson Asia in Singapore and Vice President of Brand, where she led the launch of Pearson’s new global brand.

Rebecca believes that business can be a force for good and that commercial and social success are intrinsically linked. Her work is grounded in a belief in the power of books and reading to change lives, and in using the scale and reach of publishing to widen access, reach new readers and create positive social impact.

Peers who have worked with her praised her sense of strategic brand leadership, commercial acumen and cultural insight, her desire to drive reading as a source for good in the world and her commitment to fostering the pipeline of people getting into publishing.

On her appointment, Rebecca said:

I am hugely honoured to be appointed an Honorary Professor at City St George’s and excited by the opportunity to work with and learn from the next generation of writers and publishing leaders.

At a moment of profound change, I believe deeply in the enduring power of books, reading and human creativity and I’m excited to explore with students what comes next.

Specifically, how we continue to protect the conditions for publishing to thrive, including freedom of expression and copyright protection. How we ensure that our industry and the books we publish are truly representative so that everyone can see themselves reflected. And how we inspire a future pipeline of readers and reverse the decline in reading for pleasure.