Joachim Kaufmann, the veteran chief of German publisher Carlsen Verlag, has been appointed President and CEO of the Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), per publishersweekly.com.
Kaufmann will formally assume the role on September 1, taking the reins just before this year’s fair, which is scheduled for October 7–11. He succeeds Juergen Boos, who has led the world’s largest trade fair for books since 2005.
Since 2006, Kaufmann has led Hamburg-based Carlsen Verlag, a subsidiary of the Bonnier Group, transforming it into one of Germany’s most prominent trade publishers. His tenure saw significant international expansion into markets such as China and Poland, alongside a seat on the board of Bonnier Books UK.
Before his time at Carlsen, Kaufmann built an extensive CV in sales and marketing with industry giants including Penguin Random House (formerly Bertelsmann) and Ravensburger.
In his first statement following the announcement, Kaufmann emphasised a dual strategy for the fair’s future.
“I see excellent opportunities to develop the fair into the largest festival for reading far beyond Frankfurt,” Kaufmann remarked.
Boos offered a warm endorsement, noting their years of collaboration on freedom of speech issues.
“Few leaders are as capable of inspiring people with their ideas,” Boos said. “He and the team are an ideal match.”
Karsten Schmidt-Hern, chairman of the association that oversees the fair, described Kaufmann as the “ideal successor” to lead the organisation into its next chapter.
•Featured image: Joachim Kaufmann/Sascha Wysk
