Nick Jones, managing director of Lion Hudson PLC in Oxford, U.K., announced he will retire June 6 after 35 years working in the publishing industry. After March 31, Jones will step down from his day-to-day role as managing director and become managing director emeritus until his retirement June 6. Deputy Managing Director Suzanne Wilson-Higgins will become Lion Hudson’s new managing director of April 1, working closely with Jones over the next couple of months until his retirement date.

Jones has been managing director of Lion Hudson for the last three years. Prior to this, he was managing director of Angus Hudson Ltd. and became deputy managing director of Lion Hudson when Lion Publishing PLC and Angus Hudson merged in 2003.

In an announcement to Lion Hudson staff, Chairman Nicholas Gray and Wilson-Higgins paid tribute to Jones as an encouraging and visionary leader of the company, as well as a supportive colleague and friend.

“Nick's long business experience and passion for Lion Hudson's unique mission to publish Christian books for the general market have served the company so well,” Gray said. “Nick is respected and indeed loved by LH's international partners whose co-editioning projects he has championed throughout his career. We will all miss his warmth and caring leadership. Suzanne is a highly experienced publisher and leader for the digital era. She has all the credentials required to lead the company through this time of transition and seek new opportunities. We wish her well in this fresh challenge."

Wilson-Higgins added, “It has been a blessing to serve my apprenticeship at Lion Hudson under Nick's leadership, and I am excited to be taking the company forward from April."

Jones said that the decision to leave was not easy, but a number of factors meant the time felt right to make the change.

“It has been a real privilege to work on such a wonderful range of life-changing books and resources over the years with publishers all around the world, as well as the talented and committed team at Lion Hudson,” Jones said. “The publishing industry has certainly seen a lot of change since I joined this wonderful arena and family of publishing in June 1981. This journey soon brought me to a light that George Verwer (OM) shone and Ken Taylor (founder of Tyndale) standing at my side on my journey. Angus and Mair Hudson and David and Pat Alexander taught me that business and changing and enriching lives was now a focus. I shall miss working with the Lion Hudson team, but I will continue to cheer them on from the side-lines and wish Suzanne every success in the future as she takes over the position of managing director.”

Lion Hudson PLC is the largest independent Christian publisher in Europe, publishing a wide range of nonfiction and fiction titles for adults and children.

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