Scholastic

Communicating with Children Around the World

The Company
Scholastic has been bringing the best of children’s publishing to Australian children for over 45 years and is recognised as a market leader in children’s publishing. The fledgling HJ Ashton Company, founded in New Zealand in 1962, was established in Australia in 1968, and in 1970 joined the Scholastic Inc international group, which has its head office in New York, USA.

Scholastic Inc
Scholastic Australia is part of Scholastic Inc, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of books, magazines, educational and multimedia materials for children, with offices in the USA, Canada, Argentina, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Mexico, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom . Scholastic Inc has become a major player in new media with film, TV, online services, cable TV and international licensing of creative properties.

Corporate Philosophy
Scholastic Australia has a strong commitment to children and education. The company believes that children and educators deserve the best — access to the highest-quality literature and learning materials from Australia and throughout the world. As part of this commitment, the company is dedicated to working together with children, teachers and parents to foster the wellbeing and talents of all Australian children.
Equally, the company has a strong and continuing tradition of commitment to the Australian children’s book industry, promoting the unique talents of our award-winning and emerging Australian children’s authors and illustrators. In 1996, the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Awards Foundation was launched to raise money to continue the Book of the Year Awards and Scholastic was designated a Benefactor of the Awards Foundation.

In 2000 the company was recognised as the NSW State winner in the medium business category of the prestigious Australian Customer Service for Excellence, an initiative of the Australian Customer Service Association (ACSA). These annual awards recognise excellence in customer service across all industries, states and sectors.

Management Structure
The company is headed by David Peagram, Managing Director. The Management Executive consists of David Peagram, Chairman; Andrew Berkhut, General Manager Publishing; Malcolm Tindale, Chief Financial Officer and Neil Welham, Scholastic New Zealand Manager.

Scholastic Australia incorporated a Board of Directors in March 1968. The Scholastic Australia Board of Directors is made up of representatives from Australia and the US. The current chairman of the Local Board, David Peagram, who took up the position in July 2016, has celebrated over 29 years of working for Scholastic Australia and New Zealand and has held the position of Managing Director since 2004.

Members of the board include: David Peagram, MD and Chairman Scholastic Australia and New Zealand; Dick Robinson, President, Chairman and CEO Scholastic Inc.; and Nelson Hitchcock, Executive Vice President International Scholastic Inc.

A Vast Network
Scholastic Australia’s head office and warehouse complex at Lisarow on the NSW Central Coast houses the company’s major Sales Divisions as well as Operations, Finance, Information Technology, Education, Human Resources and Corporate Communications. Scholastic Trade and Publishing are located in Lindfield, Sydney. The company employs over 450 people nationally, including Book Fairs in Queensland, Adelaide and Melbourne, Australian Standing Orders, and Omnibus Books.
The Future
Scholastic Australia has shown enormous growth over recent years and is committed to maintaining its position as the leading publisher and distributor of children’s books, magazines, multimedia and educational products in Australia.

Together with the Scholastic worldwide group, the company embraces the challenges of the next generation of publishing and new markets, both national and international.