17 August, London, UK – Dominic Smith, Group Field Sales Director at Hachette UK, is set to retire in September, after 30 years with the publisher.

Smith has been a cornerstone of the Hachette UK business for years, joining Orion in 1996 and becoming Field Sales Director in 2010, managing all of Hachette UK’s field sales, including the sales relationship with Hachette Ireland in 2015. He has built strong relationships with independent bookshops throughout and has led on key partnerships for Hachette UK, including The Booksellers Association’s Independent Bookshop Week campaign, which Hachette UK is the headline sponsor for.

David Shelley, CEO at Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group, said: “Simply put, Dominic is one of the best people I’ve ever worked with: awesomely quick, responsive, positive and with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the whole Hachette UK list, which has been of immense value to us. He’s immensely passionate about bookshops and bookselling, and I hope he will be able to spend many happy hours in his retirement visiting his favourite indie bookshops and reading his favourite authors. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for Hachette UK over the years.”

Rob Manser, Group Sales Director at Hachette UK, said: “Dominic has led our sales team brilliantly throughout his time here, building outstanding relationships with key stakeholders across the industry — from our leading independent booksellers and industry partners such as the Booksellers Association, to our colleagues at Hachette Ireland. His clear, concise and no-nonsense approach has earned enormous respect and exemplifies so much of what we value at Hachette UK. He will be greatly missed, and I would like to thank him for his tremendous contribution and wish him every happiness in his retirement.”

Barbara Ronan, Sales Director at Hachette UK, will be taking on Smith’s roles and responsibilities, leading the field sales team and supporting Hachette Ireland. Ronan started at Hachette in 2000, joining Hodder, before taking time away and then returning in 2020, when she became Hachette UK’s first Retail Sales Director. The publisher has also recruited Tim Beeden as Field Sales Manager to further strengthen its field sales team.