Steven Inchcoombe. Image: Springer Nature
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Transitioning to Open Access ‘ at Different Speeds’
As of the first of this month, Steven Inchcoombe has become the new president of research at Springer Nature, a move said by the company to reflect changes in the international research field “as it transitions to open access.”
As Inchcoombe moves to his new role, Harsh Jegadeesan changes his role from that of chief solutions officer to that of chief publishing officer.
His key responsibility in this regard is to be the growth of Springer Nature’s research publishing business, while Inchcoombe’s work is concentrated on relationships with international institutional, funder, and government stakeholders, particularly in “high-growth research countries.”
In a prepared statement, Inchcoombe is quoted, saying, “The world is transitioning to open access at different speeds, and therefore understanding these differences in order to be able to help and support our partners as they transition to open access is increasingly important.”
He refers to the new position as “a key role” and says he looks forward “to working closely with colleagues, customers, and partners” moving toward open access in many parts of the world.
Harsh Jegadeesan
Harsh, in his new C-level role, Jegadeesan says, “Having been a researcher and author myself, I’m honored by this new opportunity.
“With the publishing team at Springer Nature … and my background in the potential of new technology, I’m looking forward” to further developing the company’s work in the field.
Springer Nature CEO Frank Vrancken Peeters says, “Having a strong and senior advocate role at Springer Nature has been on my wishlist for a long time.
“With his passion for publishing, his deep understanding of the company, and extensive skills and experience as a global advocate for Springer Nature with our partners and communities, I could not think of a better person than Steven [Inchcoombe] to fill this role.”
And about Jegadeesan’s new CPO position, he says, “His experience in leading [international] and diverse teams to build digital products, platforms, and businesses, combined with his deep experience in applying customer-centric thinking and technology, will help us scale our operations.”
A Policy Note on Personnel News
Publishing Perspectives receives myriad announcements almost daily of personnel changes at many companies in many countries in our international coverage range. Unlike a publishing-industry news medium devoted to serving one national market or region, our world-industry reach and focus make it impractical for us to try to carry news of changes in companies the impact of which is not internationally felt or in roles and positions below the top, usually C-level positions of defining influence.
At Publishing Perspectives, we limit our coverage of personnel changes to such top-level figures such as these in dominant and/or market-leading companies because such officers will be in contact with peers across markets.
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