New Wiley EVP Combines Publishing Experience, AI Skills

In the US, research and education publishing company Wiley has appointed former Microsoft exec Jessica Kowalski as EVP and General Manager, Research, starting next week. She succeeds Jay Flynn, who is leaving the company.

Wiley was founded in 1807, is headquartered in New Jersey, and now describes itself as 'a global leader in research, publishing and knowledge solutions... dedicated to the creation and application of knowledge'. It operates AI-powered platforms which it says 'transform how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and applied.' The firm generated nearly $100 million in AI licensing revenue in the last two calendar years.

Kowalski brings more than two decades of experience leading knowledge, data, research publishing, and AI-enabled businesses, including senior operating roles at Amazon Web Services and RELX. At Microsoft, she held full P&L accountability for a large-scale global services business, leading a group of AI, data and cloud transformation experts working for customers in sectors including financial services, software, consulting and media. Before this she worked at Amazon Web Services, focusing on data and analytics partnerships with regulated information businesses. Earlier in her career she spent eleven years at RELX, in senior positions at Elsevier and LexisNexis, helping the transition from a content-centric publisher to an information analytics company. She holds a Master of Arts from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts from The George Washington University.

Flynn has spent the last sixteen years at Wiley, and assumed leadership of the Research business in 2021, leading the development and execution of the company's open access strategy, and growing partnerships with scientific and scholarly societies and research institutions. He also pushed forward its publishing technology, including early entry into AI.

The company recently appointed Armughan Rafat as Chief AI and Data Services Officer, and says both hires are part of a broader effort to build a leadership team equipped to lead the industry's AI evolution. President and CEO Matthew Kissner comments: 'Jessica's career has taken her from the heart of research publishing to the leading edge of AI transformation. That combination is rare, and it's exactly what this pivotal moment requires. She's results-driven, forward-thinking, and leads with innovation, creativity, and a partnership mindset. Following a very thorough search, we are confident Jessica is the right leader for the exciting opportunities ahead of us.'

Web site: www.wiley.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.