Network
The large node is Ladybird Books Limited. Red nodes are organisations, white nodes are people. Sign in free to explore further.
Who leads it
Previous officers 22
- Suzanne Margaret Brennan 2010-2014 View profile
- Stephanie Barton 2008-2010 View profile
- Peter Field 2007-2010 View profile
- John Crowther Makinson 2005-2007 View profile
- Brian James Landers 2003-2009 View profile
- Sally Margaret Doris Floyer 2002-2008 View profile
- Charles Richard Power 2002-2003 View profile
- Michael Geoffrey Herridge 1999-2002 View profile
- Laurence James 1996-1998 View profile
- Trevor David Glover 1995-1995 View profile
- John Henry Rolfe 1995-1997 View profile
- William Edward Howarth 1995-1999 View profile
- Peter Michael Mayer 1994-1996 View profile
- Alan Trueman Warren 1994 View profile
- John David Williamson 1994 View profile
- Anthony David Forbes Watson 2005 View profile
- Paula Kahn 1994 View profile
- Brian Douglas Louis Cotton 1992 View profile
- Michael Hugh Gabb 1992 View profile
- David Patrick Collington 1992 View profile
- Helena Caroline Peacock 1999-2016 View profile
- David Frank Lewis 1999 View profile
Directors and secretaries as filed at Companies House.
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About
- Incorporated
- 29/08/1924
Ownership
Owned by (1) iOwned byIndividuals and companies registered as having significant control over this company, from the Companies House PSC (persons with significant control) register. People whose ownership could not be confirmed to one individual are not listed as confirmed owners.
- Penguin Books Limited
75-100% shares, 75-100% voting, appoints directors · notified 2016-04-06
Group
- Ladybird Books Limited
is controlled by Penguin Books Limited
Evidence
active 75-100% shares, 75-100% voting, appoints directors · notified 2016-04-06 · source: Companies House PSC register - Penguin Books Limited
is controlled by Penguin Random House Limited
Evidence
active 75-100% shares, 75-100% voting, appoints directors · notified 2016-04-06 · source: Companies House PSC register - Penguin Random House Limited
is controlled by Bertelsmann UK Limited
Evidence
active 75-100% shares, 75-100% voting · notified 2016-04-06 · source: Companies House PSC register
Ultimately controlled by Bertelsmann UK Limited.
136 other companies in this group
- Union Square Music Limited
- The Harvill Press Limited
- Prinovis UK Limited
- The Bodley Head Limited
- Bellew & Higton Publishers Limited
- Transworld Publishers Limited
- Allen Lane the Penguin Press Limited
- Mainstream Publishing Company (Edinburgh) Limited
- T.Werner Laurie,Limited
- Michael Joseph Limited
- The Cresset Press Limited
- Snowman Enterprises Limited
- Plane Tree Publishers Limited
- Jonathan Cape,Limited
- Woodlands Books Limited
- Stanley Paul & CO Limited
- Penguin Books Limited
- Lostmy.Name LTD
- 10483064
- Arvato Government Services Limited
- Salspot Limited
- Skint Records Limited
- Pelham Books Limited
- W.H. Allen General Books Limited
- BMG 10 Music Limited
- Riverty UK Limited
- Chrysalis Holdings Limited
- BMG Production Music (UK) Limited
- Arvato Government Services (Eryc) Limited
- 01777051
- BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
- Carousel Books Limited
- RAM Records LTD
- Dorling Kindersley Vision Limited
- Wonderbly Productions LTD
- Windswept Music (London) Limited
- Tamarind Limited
- Century Hutchinson Publishing Limited
- Chrysalis Songs Limited
- Aardvark Bidco Limited
- Flaname 3 Limited
- Flaname 8 Limited
- Hurst & Blackett Limited
- Dorling Kindersley Limited
- The Echo Label Limited
- 08265900
- Ventura Publishing Limited
- Bantam Books Limited
- Hugo's Language Books Limited
- BMG VM Music Limited
Ownership paths are calculated from Companies House persons-with-significant-control filings. Each step shows the filed nature of control and dates; a step marked "ceased" is historical, not current.
Financials
- Net assets
- £6,948,172
- Total assets
- £7,267,663
- Employees
- 0
- Turnover
- £35,023,629
- Profit/loss
- £4,214,434
Filed as Full accounts.
Five-year trend
| Period ending | Turnover | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-31 | £35,023,629 | £6,948,172 |
| 2024-12-31 | £34,153,243 | £5,733,738 |
Figures from accounts filed at Companies House (iXBRL), period ending 2025-12-31. Where turnover is absent, small and micro-entity accounts are not required to report it, so it is not shown as zero.
Board analysis
Board DNA
How this board is put together, from the Companies House officer record and Charity Commission trustee records - deterministic, no AI.iBoard compositionCounted from the dated Companies House officer record: the current directors only, past directors excluded.
3 directors on the board
- Francesca Dow Director · appointed 2010
- Thomas Daryl Weldon Director · appointed 2010
- Mark William Gardiner Director · appointed 2014
Directors past 6 years
- Francesca Dow Director · appointed 2010
- Thomas Daryl Weldon Director · appointed 2010
- Mark William Gardiner Director · appointed 2014
First-time vs portfolio directors
Portfolio (3)
- Francesca Dow Director · appointed 2010
- Thomas Daryl Weldon Director · appointed 2010
- Mark William Gardiner Director · appointed 2014
Where else this board sits iWhere else this board sitsThe charitable fields these directors govern in elsewhere, by Charity Commission classification. Excludes this company and any charity it is the legal face of.
The sectors these directors govern in elsewhere. This company, and any charity it is the legal face of, are excluded - counting them would just tell you what you are already looking at.
Gaps to watch
- Several long-serving directors could step down together
Where to look Suggested search: succession planning for long-tenured seats.
Sources
Official record from Companies House. Governance Register calculates the connections.
Record details
- Company number
- 00200130
- Status
- Active
- Type
- Private Limited Company
- Edition
- Register edition compiled 4th October 2026
- Labels
- Official record from Companies House · Calculated derived by Governance Register.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Report an issue · How we handle data