Willa Perlman
ABOUT
Based in Providence, Willa leads the North American team as EVP & Managing Partner.
Willa Perlman, EVP & Managing Partner, North America, Providence
ABOUT
Based in Providence, Willa leads the North American team as EVP & Managing Partner.
Willa moved into executive search in 2001 after more than 20 years of senior level executive management experience in publishing, intellectual property development, and general operating roles. Her search practice focus is in education and nonprofit including EdTech, postsecondary, and lifelong learning.
She is known for being a consultative, collaborative partner to her clients, digging into their business strategy and approaching each project with curiosity and a whole-hearted effort. Her magic lies in her ability to assess candidate traits, contextualize the search with her extensive industry knowledge, and know which candidates will thrive in an open role.
Her prior executive credentials include: President of Hasbro Properties Group, at Hasbro, Inc; President of Golden Books Publishing Group; President & Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Books Division; and Vice President, Editorial Director of “Willa Perlman Books,” an imprint of the HarperCollins Children’s Division, Director of Children’s Books and Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. She has a B.A. from Barnard College and is the author of three children’s books.
“We are changing from publisher to learning company and the critical success factor to accomplishing the transformation is talent. Because of Willa, we have brought in world class talent, and I have found a strategic thought partner whom I’ve come to rely on to make some of my most important decisions.”
Jack Lynch
CEO, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt