Matt Wright, CEO of Hachette Book Group (HBG) US Distribution, has announced the promotion of Michael Shoults to CEO of HBG US Distribution. Shoults’ promotion comes as Wright steps up to Chief Financial Officer, Hachette UK, following the retirement of Pierre de Cacqueray after 29 years with the company. Shoults will continue to report to Wright in his new role.

“Mike is a visionary, his enthusiasm is infectious, and I am delighted that we will continue to work together on the next stage in becoming the undisputed market leader,” Wright said. “Mike has transformed the levels of service and communication at HBG US Distribution in the past year, and I have no doubt that he will excel equally in his new role of CEO.”

David Shelley, CEO of HBG and Hachette UK, also highlighted Shoults’ dedication to innovating HBG’s distribution. “Mike Shoults has made an enormous impact on our distribution business since he began in 2025. He is passionately devoted to making our distribution services better all the time, and his energy and vision are remarkable.”

After a year in his role as HBG US Distribution COO, Shoults will now also lead HBG’s distribution business for their portfolio of client publishers, including Abrams, Chronicle, Yen Press, Quarto, Lonely Planet, as well as Stable Distribution.

“I am deeply honored by the trust that David and Matt have placed in me to lead as CEO. I must recognize my outstanding team, whose talent, passion, and seamless partnership have driven our success,” Shoults said. “Together, we have built a culture of true care and results that our clients rely on every day. As we step into this next chapter, I’m energized to accelerate our momentum, deepen client partnerships, and unlock new levels of impact for everyone we serve to discover a new world of ideas, learning, entertainment, and opportunity.”

Before his time at HBG, Shoults led teams in a host of different arenas and disciplines for more than 20 years, including in the US Army, where, in 2005, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and served eight years, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Following an honorable discharge from the military, Shoults joined Amazon, GameStop, and a private equity startup formerly known as Heyday.

Image courtesy of Hachette Book Group