Alistair Burtenshaw FRSA

“I have known Alistair for more than 10 years and have worked with him directly at both Booktrust and The London Book Fair. At Reed, Alistair's 12 year tenure as Exhibition Director not only saw incredible changes in the market but also had one or two seismic waves that required riding, such as the completely unpredictable explosion of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull that caused transport chaos and devastation to the Fair's attendance from overseas visitors in 2010. Not only did Alistair demonstrate the ability to manage smoothly in a crisis, but also he has had the vision to move the Fair on to reflect the changes in technology and balance of power in favour of emerging markets. His knowledge and contacts within the international publishing arena, and the connected NGO departments, are remarkable. He has brought this vision and his formidable diplomatic skills to his work as a long-standing Trustee at Booktrust, and his fellow Trustees are delighted that he agreed to take on the Chairmanship earlier this year.”

“Alistair is a supreme facilitator. Despite working with very diverse stakeholders he has been able to bring concensus and accord sometimes in the most difficult circumstances. At the same time he has always delivered results that ensured we could conduct business in a modern efficient enviroment - he gets things done!”

“Alistair's ability to provide leadership to diverse interest groups; mix creativity with pragmatism and maintain a view of the macro whilst paying attention to detail has made the London Book Fair the success that it is today. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him as a member of the LBF Advisory Committee and thoroughly recommend him for any future ventures.”

“As a Trustee of BTBS (now, The Book Trade Charity (BTBS).) Alistair was a reliable, strong and constructive member of the Board and his contribution to the development of the charity was greatly appreciated. David Hicks, CEO, BTBS”

“I have enjoyed working with Alistair over a number of years. He has been a valued member of our Advisory Board at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies; and we worked closely with him and the team at the London Book Fair. Alistair is hard working, resilient, and open to new ideas.”

“Alistair was an enthusiastic and totally engaged participant in the 2012 session of the Yale Publishing Course. His questions were perceptive and his comments always on point. In addition, he was extremely generous in sharing his knowledge and expertise in publishing with the rest of the class.”

“I had the pleasure of working with Alistair in his time at The London Book Fair. Under Alistair's leadership, the Book Fair grew in size and significance, becoming not just a key meeting venue for the international book industry, but also a significant educational and training event. The Book Fair's established reputation today owes much to Alistair's dedication and hard work and to the very talented team he assembled.”

“Alistair Burtenshaw headed Reed Exhibitions’ Global Group for the Publishing sector. In this newly-created role, Alistair spearheaded overall strategy for Reed’s portfolio of 5 events in Europe, USA, Japan and Brasil and successfully led several business units in joint marketing, client contact and other initiatives. Alistair is knowledgeable and deeply passionate about this fast-evolving industry and he has outstanding contacts throughout the publishing community. His competence, dedication, cultural sensitivity, superb interpersonal skills and teamwork served Alistair very well in leading our multicultural team.”