WESTMONT, IL – Over the past two fiscal years IVP has seen a 27 percent increase in sales. In a recent Publishers Weekly article, IVP Publisher Jeff Crosby explained the growth: “It has not been a single book nor a single customer; not a single segment or single new strategy; not the addition of one or two new team members or author acquisitions. Instead, it has been the accumulation of many years of relentlessly pushing the flywheel of mission-driven publishing that has led to the results we are seeing.”
Crosby also recognizes the need to keep innovating to bring about growth in the future. He said that IVP will make “measured and strategic investments” in both new strategies and people. In preparation for continued sales increases and these new initiatives, IVP has announced a number of personnel changes that will contribute to its ongoing growth and vision.
Justin Paul Lawrence, who has served as Director of Sales since 2016, joined IVP as the Academic and Library Markets Sales Manager in 2015. He has been promoted to the newly created position of Senior Director of Sales and Marketing. Lawrence will oversee marketing and publicity, key accounts, and data distribution, as well as trade, online, and digital sales.
Helen Lee, formerly Director of Marketing, has made the lateral move to the recently created position of Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships. In this role she will lead the development of new and existing initiatives and publishing partnerships. Lee was hired as Associate Editor for IVP Books and IVP Praxis in 2014 and was named Director of Marketing in 2016.
As the sales and marketing teams consolidate into one department, Andrew Bronson has been named Director of Marketing. Bronson has been a part of the IVP marketing department for more than eighteen years, serving as Special Markets Sales Manager, Digital Sales and Marketing Manager, and most recently as Senior Marketing Manager.
“Justin Paul Lawrence’s work has had a significant impact on the growth we have realized over the past three years,” Crosby said. “I’m grateful for his ‘yes’ to an expanded role, which will benefit from his many years of work in book retailing and publishing as well as his experiences at Regent College and Calvin College. The new roles of fellow veteran IVP staff Helen Lee and Andrew Bronson also position us to seize opportunities to expand our reach and engage culture in the years ahead. I’m grateful for their ‘yeses’ as well and look forward to the impact all three will have.”
Alisse Wissman came to IVP in 2010 as Academic Print Publicist & International Sales Coordinator. In 2013 she was named Publicity Manager and will now serve as Associate Director of Publicity.
Marsha Barnish has been with IVP for thirteen years. She started out as a sales coordinator in 2006, and since then has served as Digital Publishing and Sales Coordinator, Digital Assets Manager, and Assistant Director of Sales. She will now be Associate Director of Sales.
Christina Gilliland started out as a marketing coordinator for IVP in 2017. She was promoted to Assistant Marketing Manager last year and will now serve as a marketing manager in the Sales and Marketing Department.
Lawrence said, “I’m pleased that Andrew has accepted this new role and that I’ll get to tap into his publishing experience and connections. As the market continues to evolve, I am also excited to work with Alisse, Marsha, Christina, and the rest of the team to help our books transform lives. I believe that we have achieved the right mix of enthusiasm and expertise to enable continued growth in the future.”
