Alejandro Fernández Diego

Alejandro has a degree in Journalism [Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, UPSA, 2000], has studies in Hispanic Language & Literature [Universidad de Salamanca, USAL, 2002], studied the Publishing Course [Yale University, 2015] and has a Master in Internet Business [MIB, ISDI, 2017].

Between 1996 and 2004, Alejandro worked in different media (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and press offices). Since 2005, his professional activity has always been linked to the academic publishing, beginning to work at Arco/Libros publishing house. In 2007, he worked for Logística Libromares, where he was in charge of the institutional services area. From 2013 to date, he works directly with the Spanish Association of University Publishers (UNE), where he is the general manager of Unebook.es and Unebook.pro.

Aude Desbant

«Offering solutions to answer publishers’ main challenges of today.» 

Aude Desbant was born in Paris. After completing her studies and her master degree in international business between France, Austria and Mexico, she finally moved out to Germany and joined the company Books on Demand with the exciting mission to develop the French market seven years ago. Making publishers aware of the infinite advantages of print on demand, helping them develop a sustainable publishing strategy and discovering with them new opportunities to generate revenue with their backlist are Aude main assignments, which she now executes on a European level as manager for the sales and business development international. 

Books on Demand is the European market and technology leader in digital publishing. It offers its more than 3,500 publishers a complete solution for the production from one copy and the worldwide distribution of books and e-books. Books on Demand is present in eight European countries and offers services to distribute the publishers’ titles worldwide. During their workshop, Aude will present with her colleague Michaela Arnold, the PLUREOS project: the largest and most and most modern print-on-demand center in Europe from Libri and BoD join forces and show its advantages for publishers and the publishing world.“ 

Michaela Arnold

 “Let us develop the book market in the right direction!” 

Currently responsible for BoD Spain, a European pioneer in print-on-demand since 1997, Michaela advises publishers in the implementation of the print-on-demand model, as well as authors in their self-publishing process. She was born in Germany and studied in Spain Translation and Interpretation, specializing in Conference Interpreting. Michaela also completed a master’s degree in event management and organization. 

Books on Demand is the European market and technology leader in digital publishing. It offers its more than 3,500 publishers a complete solution for the production from one copy and the worldwide distribution of books and e-books. Books on Demand is present in eight European countries and offers services to distribute the publishers’ titles worldwide. During their workshop, Michaela will present with her colleague Aude Desbant, the PLUREOS project: the largest and most and most modern print-on-demand center in Europe from Libri and BoD join forces and show its advantages for publishers and the publishing world. 

Joan Mera

Nowadays, the sustainable transformation of our organizations constitutes one of the main challenges that we must face. If you haven’t already done so, define your sustainability strategy, align it with your corporate strategy and take advantage of it to generate more value for your organization. It is a big transformation that affects not only the processes but also in the organization´s behaviour, but critical to keep our organizations as solid and healthy players for the years to come. Let’s share ideas and write this story together.

It is often said that there is no better gift than being in the right place at the right time. It is exactly what I feel after more than 20 years of experience in the publishing sector, in different executive management positions at Grupo Planeta. I feel that I am witnessing and being an active part of the great transformation and continuous adaptation that the book publishing sector has been undergoing in recent years, with changes in some cases that are difficult to anticipate and even imagine, which have made it one of the most exciting and attractive in which to develop a professional career. If it has always been a privilege to work hand in hand with those who tell us their stories in the place that makes them tangible and even remarkable, now even more if that is even possible.

Because if there is an area, currently, within the publishing sector, where changes are being experienced in a more significant and frenetic way, generating an incredible number of challenges and opportunities, it is the one in which I am currently carrying out responsibilities: the supply chain.

Who could have imagined it? But yes: game-changing challenges in technology and digitalization processes, sustainability transformation, supply chain disruptions, demand strength, tensions in sources and supply deadlines, etc. etc… are provoking very huge impacts in all the flow, challenging us to constantly adapt, innovate and search for the best solutions, always in collaboration with all the actors in every link of the chain, to continue contributing to keeping the magic of books and reading alive.

So, if you want to feel thrilling emotions, come and enjoy the challenges and the exciting opportunities the book supply chain is currently offering. Gripping, I promise 😉

Marc Boutet

Co-founded the company 30 years ago when he was 15 years old.

Successfully programmed and commercialized best-selling software such as Typing Pal & Budget Express. Extensive managerial experience through entire product cycles, industry shifts, company turnarounds.

Involved in many industry committees which are shaping the future of publishing.

Received multiple business awards in Canada, France, and Italy.
Holds degrees from McGill and Laval University 

Gauthier Van Malderen

«On a mission to make education more accessible to all, whilst helping publishers recuperate revenue lost from piracy and second-hand book sales»
Gauthier Van Malderen is the co-founder and CEO of Perlego, the largest textbook subscription service, launched in Jan 2017. Perlego’s mission is to make education accessible to all by partnering with learners, instructors and publishers around the world. Gauthier has raised $75m USD to date and has won 26 awards including Europas Best Edtech, Virgin Voom and KPMG pioneer awards. He is a Bocconi & Cambridge graduate

Fátima Bigeriego

Fátima Bigeriego, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Odilo, a leading company in creating fully customized Unlimited Learning Ecosystems to help organizations reach their full potential. Thanks to the speed in the evolution of its learning capabilities, it is able to provide rapid response (in this case in just two weeks) in challenging times when education is at risk, like the one we are living now, the war in Ukraine. Within the company, Fatima leads strategic alliances and projects that, in the various verticals in which the company operates (Public and private schools, Universities, Corporations, Ministries of Education, etc), help exponentially to grow the business globally. This includes social projects that reinforce Odilo’s true mission of democratizing high-quality education worldwide.
During her workshop in the Sandbox on Innovation called «Edtech’s full-speed solutions in times of hardship», she’ll explain how the industry has given response immediately to a situation where kids and education are the most affected in the war. It is not the first time that the industry proposed a full speed solution in difficult times, during lockdown when children could not attend schools, the edtech industry supported education with an open and free of charge digital platform. Now, thanks to partners, industry stakeholders and groups of volunteers, together we launched a 100% non-profit movement to support kids and families with an unlimited learning ecosystem that is currently helping them to learn the language and culture and compliments their Ukrainian school program.

Nathan Hull

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Nathan Hull is CSO at Beat Technology powering audiobook and ebook services for the publishing industry. Beat is the pulse within market leaders Skoobe (DE), Fabel (NO), Fluister (NL), Audiotribe (RO), Volume (PL), Adlibris (SE & FI) and Jukebooks (GR). Prior to Beat, Nathan launched the curated Dutch service Bookchoice in 9 markets and was Chief Business Development Officer at Denmark’s Mofibo launching in two further markets prior to its purchase by Storytel. Notably Nathan was also Penguin Random House’s Digital Product Director, with strategic responsibility for its award-winning digital portfolio and innovation strategy working closely with the likes of Stephen Fry, Jamie Oliver, Jeff Kinney, and Roald Dahl’s estate.

Monika Kolb

The challenges of the future are huge. Understanding these changes, accepting them, learning from them together, developing a new best version for people in the book industry – this is an exciting task. Once again, it underlines the value of lifelong learning

Monika Kolb has been managing director of the mediacampus frankfurt since 2007 and is also responsible for educational work in the German Booksellers and Publishers Association (“Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels”). 

mediacampus frankfurt is the most important education and training company in the German book industry. The service portfolio aims towards specialists and executives in the book trade as well as book and magazine publishers. The wide range of educational programs and seminars reaches from training and study courses (for newcomers and young professionals) to seminars and further training events for managers and specialist staff (further training). A huge number of inhouse programs is also carried out at member companies, which makes mediacampus frankfurt a central place for cross-divisional integration – book trade, wholsale, book and magazine publishers – for the entire book industry. 

mediacampus frankfurt is a highly frequented meeting place for authors of all literary genres and a discussion and event location for many politicians, for example local politicians or the respective ministers of state for culture. In her role as educational Director of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, Monika Kolb is responsible for vocational training topics such as the amendment of job descriptions, accreditation of degree programs and the linking of different educational institutions such as universities, vocational schools and independent training providers with the involvement of publishers and booksellers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In order to do something against the shortage of for specialists and managerial staff, the vocational training department of the German Booksellers and Publishers Association implements numerous initiatives such as a youth parliament, events at trade fairs and mentoring programs.

Monika Kolb, born in 1966, holds a degree in business administration, is a trained and experienced mediator and a systemic organizational developer. She also advises and supports national and international organizations and associations on strategic issues and accompanies specialists as well as executives through personal coaching. 

María José Gálvez

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Reading is the beginning of everything. In order to enlarge our reader society, book and reading public policies also must focus on the strengthening and sustainability of the book industry

Managing Director of Books and Reading Promotion in the Spanish Government is in charge of promoting literary creation and translation, supporting the publishing industry and promoting reading, specially through public libraries. Previously she was Editor-in-chief for Tirant lo Blanch publishers, and previously worked in the Spanish Parliament and national government. Gálvez is Associate Professor at Carlos III University of Madrid, she holds a PHD in Constitutional Law.