Adapting Your Workforce

When we ponder what new directions lie ahead for the scholarly communications and publishing industry, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by predictions of radical change and dire risks that won’t be realized for decades into the future. Funding models are being transformed, digital publishing programs are evolving, and user expectations are diversifying. For strategic and pragmatic purposes, this year’s New Directions Seminar will focus on understanding today’s trends and considering their near-term impacts and implications. Instead of prognosticating what a total overhaul of our industry might encompass for future generations, our goal is to generate actionable insights and practical ideas we can use to address the realities of the next <5 years.

A member of the executive team at NEJM Group, a part of the Massachusetts Medical Society, David works collaboratively across the organization on business and editorial strategy and policies for The New England Journal of Medicine and the group’s portfolio of other publications. Prior to joining NEJM Group in 2020, David worked for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Elsevier, and Wolters Kluwer in various publishing, sales, and marketing roles.

Etzer Botes is Sr. Director, Strategy at Wiley, leading strategic AI-powered growth in Academic and Trade publishing. He works cross-functionally with strategy, tech, product, and editorial teams developing AI-based tools to assist authors, editors, and creators develop quality novel and derivative content. He and his teammates are laser focused on collaborating with end users to design AI tools that augment human creativity in pursuit of increased publishing productivity. Prior to joining Wiley, he led strategic growth efforts at Kaplan North America, notably supporting Kaplan’s leadership to establish, operationalize, and expand its Higher Ed academic and technology services partnerships business. Before that, he led business modernization, financial improvement, and restructuring projects for clients in Higher Ed, Public Sector, Financial Services, and other industries as a Deloitte strategy consultant.

Jeff Strohschein is the current Chief Information and Digital Officer of IEEE. In this role, he is accountable for driving Digital Transformation across the organization. He was previously the Global CIO and Head of Digital for a midsized insurance company leading the organization to utilize modern technology solutions to deliver more efficient insurance products and services. His career includes various technology roles at TransUnion, CNA, GM and Pfizer. 

Zsolt Silberer has over twenty-five years of STM and educational publishing experience, holding senior positions in product management, market development and publishing. His passion is to help organizations translate complex technologies into meaningful use cases. He has developed several online databases products, overseen innovations in eBook and journal platforms and lead numerous change management exercises for commercial and society publishers.