Most recently, Holton was President, Scholastic Trade Publishing and Book Fairs. During her tenure at Scholastic, Holton managed the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, one of the bestselling books in publishing history. Holton also initiated and oversaw development of The 39 Clues, Scholastic's highly anticipated book and web-based venture.
As SVP and Publisher, Disney Global Children's Books, Holton ran all aspects of the domestic and international children's book business at the Walt Disney Company.
In addition, during her nine years at Disney, Holton developed a number of bestselling series that launched major franchises for the Walt Disney Company. Working closely with the Feature Animation and Consumer Products Division, she published a book series by award-winning author Gail Carson Levine that introduced the new brand Disney Fairies to the market, giving the property a rich, literary foundation. The Disney Fairies books are now published in 51 countries in 33 languages and have sold over 4 million copies in less than two years. The company is rapidly expanding the franchise with merchandise, an original DVD, and plans for a virtual online world and a feature film.
In 2000, Holton established a relationship with the Baby Einstein Company, then a small start-up. Holton licensed the book rights to the property and began collaborating with Baby Einstein to develop and expand the brand. In 2001, Disney purchased Baby Einstein; current revenues are approximately $165 million worldwide.
In 1999, Holton founded Jump at the Sun, an imprint devoted to African-American culture and literature. Under that umbrella, she published The Cheetah Girls, now a powerful franchise that includes additional movies, platinum music CDs, a touring live show, and an extensive line of merchandise.
Prior to joining Disney, Holton was Vice President, Associate Publisher and Editor-in Chief of HarperCollins Children's Books.
Holton is on the Board of Directors of the New York Women's Foundation and also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
A respected media consultant with more than twenty-five years experience, Lorraine Shanley is a principal in Market Partners International, which publishes the respected industry newsletter, Publishing Trends. She has been involved in online ventures since 1996, when she advised a young internet retailer, Amazon.com. A member (and past president) of Women's Media Group, advisor to the National Book Foundation and New York University's Publishing Program, she is frequently quoted in major publications about industry trends. Current and recent clients include Macmillan, National Geographic, Rodale, Ogilvy & Mather, and Warner Bros. Shanley graduated with honors in English and Philosophy from the University of Rochester and received her M.A. from the University of Virginia.
Most recently, Abigail E. Disney produced Pray the Devil Back to Hell, which won the Best Documentary Feature Award in the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Disney is Founder and the President of the Daphne Foundation, a progressive, social change Foundation that makes grants to grassroots, community-based organizations working with low-income communities in New York City. Over the years, the Daphne foundation has provided more than five million dollars in general operating support grants, along with grants for technical assistance, and infrastructure improvement. Disney is also the Vice Chair of the board of Shamrock Holdings Incorporated, an investment company that runs fund in private equity, real estate and stocks. Disney has also spoken to a wide variety of women's groups, community foundations and financial professionals across the country and internationally about the power of activist philanthropy and the importance of pursuing a life of engaged and intelligent volunteerism. Disney serves on the boards of the White House Project, and the Global Fund for Women, and the Fund for the City of New York, as well as on the advisory boards of the Association to Benefit Children, and the HIV Law Project. She is currently co-producing, with Gini Reticker, a series for Wide Angle and WNET tentatively called "Women and Children First" about the changing role of women in conflict worldwide.
Deirdre Smerillo is the principal partner of Smerillo Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in business affairs and financial management for independent publishers. Her previous twenty years in publishing were spent at Hyperion/Disney and Random House, as Director of Contracts. Current consulting clients include Melville House, Weinstein Books, Bloomsbury USA, and Sounds True. Smerillo is Treasurer of The Women's Media Group, and has served on several committees for the Association of American Publishers. She has spoken at publishing conferences and has written articles about the industry, most recently on selling translation rights, for Research Quarterly. She holds a BA from Rutgers College and an MBA from Monmouth University.
JillEllyn Riley comes to her current role at Fourth Story Media with a wealth of experience in both children's and adult publishing. As Editorial Director of Miramax Books, she worked with Arianna Huffington, Artemis Fowl's creator Eoin Colfer, both Kristin Gore and Karenna Gore Schiff, Adam Gopnik, Jonathan Stroud, among numerous other authors and celebrities. Before Miramax, she spent seven years at the innovative independent publisher, Four Walls Eight Windows, as senior editor. Riley has also been a writer, script editor, and curator. She has an AB from Vassar College. She wholeheartedly believes that Buffy saved the world, a lot, and that Amanda Valentino is poised to do the same.
Ariel Aberg-Riger specializes in information and content design for multiplatform businesses. Previously, as Associate Director at Market Partners International, she advised a range of clients including Harlequin, the Ontario Media Development Corp., and National Geographic. In addition, she has consulted extensively for Sparknotes/Barnes & Noble, most recently in their Interactive Media division, working with clients such as Nike, Target, HBO & Neutrogena. Ariel was graduated from Smith College with a BA in philosophy. She is Facebook user #507516468. She loves her Google Reader.
Erin Kissane has developed web content and community strategies for clients including Thomson Reuters, W.W. Norton, and Capgemini. Previously, she managed a suite of international websites for Sapient, a global consultancy, and served for six years as the managing editor of A List Apart magazine, the web development industry's magazine of choice. She speaks on content and community design at national web industry conventions and festivals, and has been publishing on the web since Netscape 1.2 was the best browser on the market.