This conversation, moderated by Emma House, features insights from Searsha Sadek, Gvantsa Jobava, and Arantza Larrauri on the role of female innovators in the global publishing industry. The discussion explores their personal experiences with innovation, challenges faced, and the importance of ambition and support networks. Below is an organized summary of each participant’s ideas.
You can follow in this video the whole session and find here a short summary of the content of the conversation.
Introduction
Emma House introduced the panel «EntreprenHers: exploring the role of female innovators in the global publishing industry.» Emma is one of the women leading many initiatives with a very global approach, not only because she is a former board member of PublisHer, but also for her top level experience as international consultant and her previous senior roles at The London Book Fair or The Publishers Association (UK).
She acknowledged the contributions of the panelists and sets the stage for discussing innovation and disruption in publishing and emphasized the importance of women in leading these changes.
Emma House structured the conversation around several points. Please find here a synthesis of each panelists’ views on each of the following topics:
- General Perspectives on Innovation
- Managing Change and Challenges
- Role of Women in Industry
- Overcoming Perceptions and Innovation
- Environment and Leadership
- Skills for Innovation
- Motivating Teams and Leadership Challenges
- Perception of Innovation in Publishing
- AI and the Future of Publishing
General Perspectives on Innovation
Searsha Sadek
– Role and Innovation. As Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Shimmer AI, which disrupts the market with automated ads for selling books she would define her role as a “disrupter”.
– Personal Risk Appetite Innovation is something personal and depends on one’s risk appetite. She identified herself as a creator of innovation who enjoys taking risks in her professional life, contrasting with her aversion to physical risks like skydiving.
– Motivation and Innovation. Searsha emphasized that innovation comes from both passion and a desire to eliminate frustrating tasks. She advocated for leveraging personal strengths to innovate effectively.
Gvantsa Jobava
– Passion and Industry. Stressed the necessity of passion in publishing. Innovation in smaller markets like Georgia is about making impactful changes locally rather than competing with larger markets.
– Ambition and Leadership. Jovaba discussed the importance of ambition and courage, particularly in her role as one of the few female leaders in the International Publishers Association’s long history. She believed ambition drives positive change and development in the industry.
Arantza Larrauri
– Personal Motivation. For Larrauri, innovation begins with personal passion and curiosity. She stressed the importance of self-awareness and motivation in driving innovation.
– Comfort Zone. Challenged the notion that innovation requires leaving one’s comfort zone, suggesting instead that innovation can be a natural state for those who enjoy breaking norms and creating new solutions.
Challenges and Support in Innovation
As the second thread for the conversation Emma House asked them about the difficulties of leading change and innovation, highlighting the personal and professional challenges faced by the panelists.
Searsha Sadek
– Frequent Challenges. Sadek described the constant cycle of highs and lows in the fast-paced environment of AI-driven innovation. Emphasized the need for psychological safety and a supportive network to navigate these challenges.
– Support Networks. Advocated for strong support networks, noting that women often excel at creating these but also highlighting their importance for everyone, including men.
Gvantsa Jobava
– Ambition and Change. Jobava reiterated the necessity of ambition for achieving change, especially in leadership roles. She views her upcoming presidency as a significant next step for gender representation in the International Publishers Association.
Emma House addressed another set of questions about the management of transformation and innovation.
Managing Change and Challenges
Arantza Larrauri
– Embracing Change. Larrauri tends to enjoy change and finds it essential to avoid boredom. Does not find change inherently negative.
– Darkest Moments. She also explained that experiences disappointment when trusted people, especially those not selected by her, are disloyal. This has been a significant source of difficulty.
– Support Networks. Stressed the importance of having a network for advice and support. Underlined “not putting all eggs in one basket” and cultivating multiple facets of life to maintain balance.
Gvantsa Jobava
– Challenges with Change. Acknowledged that change is hard, especially when becoming the President of the local association at a young age.
– Age and Leadership. Faced significant challenges due to age rather than gender in the Georgian publishing industry, which is gender-equal.
– State vs. Private Sector. Finds cooperation with the state challenging due to differing goals, often encountering political resistance which hampers innovation and development.
Searsha Sadek
– Change in Tech and Publishing. Finds the pace of change in AI-driven tech companies to be a constant source of both challenges and excitement.
– Support Networks and Vulnerability. Believes in the necessity of having a support network and being able to express vulnerabilities. Highlights the positive aspects of such networks in fostering innovation and resilience.
Role of Women in Industry
Arantza Larrauri
– Personal Balance. Larrauri explained that she maintains a balance by diversifying interests and not relying solely on one aspect of life, which helps in managing professional challenges.
Gvantsa Jobava
– Gender Equality in Publishing. She noted that the Georgian publishing industry is quite gender-equal, describing it as a “paradise of gender equality.”
– Ambition and Leadership. For Jobava ambition and leadership are necessary for overcoming barriers and effecting change. Her upcoming role as the President of the International Publishers Association is a testimony to her commitment.
Searsha Sadek
– Women in Tech and Publishing. Sadek considers that publishing has a positive gender balance compared to other industries she has worked in. She also finds the collaborative and supportive nature of women in publishing refreshing.
– Leadership in Tech. Described her experience in tech as often being the only woman in the room. Although informed that at Shimmr AI, the leadership team is evenly split between men and women, creating a positive and balanced environment.
– Opportunities for Women. Encouraged women in publishing to explore roles in publishing tech, citing numerous opportunities and the importance of making these roles known.
Overcoming Perceptions and Innovation
Gvantsa Jobava
– Perceptions of Youth. She explained that it’s important to overcame challenges related to being perceived as too young to lead by consistently demonstrating capability and leadership.
Searsha Sadek
– Industry Dynamics: Reflected on her transition from advertising to publishing and the stark differences in gender dynamics and shared her opinion about the publishing to be more inclusive and supportive of women.
– Encouraging Female Talent. Sadek believes in fostering female talent at all levels to ensure authentic growth in female leadership in publishing tech.
Environment and Leadership
Emma House started the next part of the conversation by addressing to Arantza Larrauri the following question: *how does being a female leader in the intersection of publishing, logistics, technology, and digital industries manifest in your business?
Larrauri declared that in their company, diversity is crucial as they aim for a transparent hiring process, which has naturally led to a 75% female workforce. Diversity in gender, age, orientation, and life experiences is essential for them as it brings different perspectives, helping the team avoid blind spots: “A diverse team ensures we can understand the world better and innovate effectively. Creating a safe and respectful environment where diversity is valued is vital for inspiration and role modeling”.
Skills for Innovation
Emma House asked about the skills are required to be innovative in the publishing sector.
Gvantsa Jobava. Key skills include bravery, carefulness, patience, and sometimes even anger. Being patient helps overcome disappointments, while anger can drive action. It’s important to balance ambition with caution.
Searsha Sadek. The ability to test ideas is critical. Understanding the baseline, implementing changes, and analyzing the results helps ensure innovations are improvements. Basic testing frameworks and a bit of mathematical analysis are essential skills.
Arantza Larrauri. Loving literature and books is fundamental. Additionally, humility, listening skills, and collaboration are important. Being open-minded and willing to accept that you don’t know everything can significantly enhance the innovation process. Generosity and gratefulness are also crucial as they foster a supportive and collaborative environment.
Motivating Teams and Leadership Challenges
Later, House addressed a question to Jobava about the means for motivating Teams and Leadership Challenges
Gvantsa Jobava: “Before my role at IPA, I primarily worked with female teams. Transitioning to a mixed-gender team was challenging but valuable. Fairness and gratitude are my guiding principles. It’s essential to recognize and appreciate the support from your team and motivate them. Success is a collective achievement, and sharing it with the team is crucial”.
Perception of Innovation in Publishing
Emma House asked to Searsha Sadek: as a newcomer to publishing, do you find the industry innovative?
Searsha Sadek: “The history of publishing is rich in innovation. Despite its reputation for being slow to change, my experience has been positive, with publishers quickly embracing new technologies. The perception that publishing isn’t innovative may stem from how the industry views and talks about itself. Embracing a positive narrative about innovation could help shift this perception”.
AI and the Future of Publishing
Emma House rose the AI issue as the last point of the conversation.
Gvantsa Jobava declared that AI is crucial for the future of publishing, but the approach mast be careful. Respecting copyright is a major concern. While AI can aid development, it’s important to ensure that the work of authors and publishers is protected. Establishing rules and guidelines to manage AI’s impact on copyright and the industry is essential for balancing innovation with respect for intellectual property.
Emma House is an international publishing consultant based in the UK. She has over 20 years experience in the global publishing industry having held senior roles at The London Book Fair and The Publishers Association (UK). As a consultant Emma helps businesses navigate the international publishing world through research, business development, event curation and project management. Emma is a former board member of PublisHer and is a member of the advisory board for the Oxford International Centre for Publishing.
Graduated in Business Administration from ESADE, where she also obtained an MBA, Larrauri completed her training in Arizona, at Thunderbird School, where she obtained a Master in International Management.
Larrauri has been working in the book industry for nineteen years. In 2010 she joined Libranda as Managing Director, the leading international distributor of digital books in the Spanish language. Since the integration of Libranda in the Canadian digital services company, De Marque Group, she is also playing the role of Europe and LATAM market manager at De Marque. Previously, she worked in the commercial area of the publishing group Random House Mondadori (currently Penguin Random House) and in Círculo de Lectores, occupying various positions in the central offices that the book club had in Spain and Portugal.
At Libranda and at De Marque, Larrauri and the team work with publishers, stores, libraries and other agents with the aim of developing digital services for the book industry. She believes that it is an opportunity and a great challenge to participate in the evolution of a sector.
Gvantsa Jobava (1986) is the Vice President of the International Publishers Association (IPA) and the past president of Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association (currently the GPBA board member). She holds the position of the Head of International Affairs and the head of translated Fiction/Nonfiction department at Intelekti Publishing, one of the leading publishing houses in Georgia. In addition, she is a member of Women Publishers’ International Network – PublisHer. In 2020 she joined PEN Georgia. In 2021-2022 in the frames of UNESCO’s “Tbilisi World Book Capital 2021” project, Gvantsa has founded the first Tbilisi Children Books Festival; Children Books Literary Award NAKADULI; The first Caucasus and Black Sea Basin Countries’ Regional Publishing Conference, etc.
Since 2013, Gvantsa Jobava has been lobbying for the Georgian publishing industry, advocating Georgian publishers’ interests and rights, standing for copyright and freedom to Publish and Freedom of Expression in Georgia. Gvantsa Jobava is a poet and the translator.
Searsha Sadek is the Founder and Chief Product Officer of Shimmr, a company that ‘brings books to life’ through automated advertising campaigns. An expert in using AI for marketing and at the cutting edge of developments, Searsha gives tips on how every publisher and author can use technology to get their titles ahead. At Shimmr, she uses this capability to match books to new audiences to maximise discoverability, while generate advertising faithful to each book’s DNA – bringing its human genius to wider attention. Searsha trained as a psychologist, spent many years in leading advertising agencies, and was Chief Revenue Officer of an AI-brand management company. Outside work, you can find her swimming, drinking tea, kickboxing – and of course, reading.
