De Gruyter is collaborating with 67 Bricks to deliver the next phase of the publisher’s digital transformation and has recruited Brian Bishop, who joins the Berlin-based publishing house in a newly created role as Vice President Digital Transformation.
Having built and launched the digital research platform degruyter.com earlier this year, De Gruyter is now expanding its partnership with Oxford-based software consultancy 67 Bricks to embark on the next steps of the international publishing house’s digital transformation.
The multi-year partnership involves the delivery of a digital transformation strategy including the optimization of software systems, workflows and digital products. The project goal is to further enable the publishing house to deliver excellent user-focused digital experiences and services to the scholarly communities De Gruyter has been serving since 1749.
De Gruyter is also pleased to announce that Brian Bishop is joining De Gruyter as Vice President Digital Transformation to drive the organizational and cultural aspects of digital transformation within the business.
Brian is a digital product management executive with 20 years of experience developing digital products in a variety of business domains. As a champion of lean and user-centered design approaches, Brian has built agile software development teams from the ground up, transformed existing teams and consulted on product management practices for leading international brands. Brian has held various positions within Springer Nature, including Vice President of Platform Development, and was the Product Director at Secret Escapes.
At De Gruyter, Brian will be working closely with 67 Bricks and De Gruyter’s executive management to focus particularly on developing, managing, monitoring and implementing the digital transformation strategy in line with organizational values, behavior, and objectives.
Carsten Buhr, Managing Director at De Gruyter, said, “I am excited to continue our successful partnership with 67 Bricks and to welcome Brian Bishop to De Gruyter. The scholarly communications landscape is changing rapidly, and I am confident that having these digital specialists on board will enable us to drive the change that De Gruyter needs to continue to flourish as an academic publisher in the digital age.”
Sam Herbert, CEO of 67 Bricks, said, “We are delighted to expand our partnership with De Gruyter and welcome Brian Bishop on board. Digital transformation is as much about people as it is technology, and many firms fail when they don’t acknowledge the cultural – and wider business – aspects. Between us we have the skills to ensure De Gruyter successfully continues its digital evolution, and we are here for them every step of the way.”
