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Company

Penguin Books Limited

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Official record Companies House · updated 4th October 2026 · Sources

Network

The large node is Penguin Books Limited. Red nodes are organisations, white nodes are people. Sign in free to explore further.

Who leads it

Previous officers 51

  1. Markus Franz-Joseph Dohle 2017-2022 Director View profile
  2. Suzanne Margaret Brennan 2009-2014 Director View profile
  3. Michael John Symons 2007-2017 Director View profile
  4. Peter Field 2007-2012 Director View profile
  5. Genevieve Helen Shore 2005-2007 Director View profile
  6. Brian James Landers 2003-2009 Director View profile
  7. John Crowther Makinson 2002-2016 Director View profile
  8. Peter David Bowron 2001-2005 Director View profile
  9. David Andrew Wan 2000-2002 Director View profile
  10. Charles Richard Power 1999-2003 Director View profile
  11. Susan Elizabeth Taylor 1999-2005 Director View profile
  12. Michael Geoffrey Herridge 1999-2002 Director View profile
  13. Nicholas Charles Kirkland 1998-2000 Director View profile
  14. John Richard Cowser 1998-2000 Director View profile
  15. Andrew Keeney Rosenheim 1997-2001 Director View profile
  16. Juliet Annan 1997-2005 Director View profile
  17. Helen Jean Sutherland Fraser 1997-2009 Director View profile
  18. Peter Haley 1996-1999 Director View profile
  19. Michael Lynton 1996-2000 Director View profile
  20. Laurence James 1996-1998 Director View profile
  21. Duncan John Campbell-Smith 1996-1999 Director View profile
  22. Alastair David Rolfe 1996-1999 Director View profile
  23. Frances Supple 1995-1996 Director View profile
  24. Philippa Jean Milnes-Smith 1995-2001 Director View profile
  25. Max Nicholas Adam 1995-2000 Director View profile
  26. Kevin Michael Bristow 1995-1996 Director View profile
  27. Andrew Peter Welham 1995-2006 Director View profile
  28. Patrick John Mccarthy 1995-1997 Director View profile
  29. Anthony David Forbes Watson 1994-2005 Director View profile
  30. Laura Elizabeth Bamford 1994-1994 Director View profile
  31. Roger Grenville Quinton Clarke 1993-1999 Director View profile
  32. Susan Watt 1998 Director View profile
  33. Patrick Burgon John Hutchinson 1995 Director View profile
  34. Clare Frances Alexander 1997 Director View profile
  35. Anthony Stephen Lacey 2005 Director View profile
  36. Sally Margaret Doris Floyer 2008 Director View profile
  37. Trevor David Glover 1995 Director View profile
  38. Brenda Johnson 1995 Director View profile
  39. Peter Thomas Staheyeff Carson 1997 Director View profile
  40. Elizabeth Margaret Attenborough 1995 Director View profile
  41. Andrew Cecil Franklin 1995 Director View profile
  42. Rosalie Mavis Wilson Barker 1995 Director View profile
  43. Stephen Derek Hall 1998 Director View profile
  44. John Henry Rolfe 1997 Director View profile
  45. Nigel John Williams 1995 Director View profile
  46. John James Peck 1993 Director View profile
  47. John Walter Webster 1996 Director View profile
  48. Jonathan Roy Ramon Yglesias 1997 Director View profile
  49. Peter Michael Mayer 1996 Director View profile
  50. Helena Caroline Peacock 1998-2016 Secretary View profile
  51. Cecily Julia Engle 2001 Secretary View profile

Directors and secretaries as filed at Companies House.

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About

Incorporated
15/10/1965

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.

Group

  1. 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
  2. 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

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
£144,568,000
Total assets
£169,081,000
Cash
£124,000
Employees
870
Turnover
£279,709,000
Profit/loss
£50,811,000

Filed as Full accounts.

Five-year trend

Period endingTurnoverNet assets
2025-12-31£279,709,000£144,568,000
2024-12-31£247,168,000£138,519,000

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.

4 directors on the board

10.5y median 10.9y
average tenure
16.5y
longest tenure

Directors past 6 years

First-time vs portfolio directors

Portfolio (4)

0
also govern a charity
0
left in the last 12 months

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.

Professional services 76Tech and media 37Property 27Transport 2Business services 1

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
00861590
Status
Active
Type
Private Limited Company
Edition
Register edition compiled 4th October 2026
Labels
Official record from Companies House · Calculated derived by Governance Register.

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