Charles R. Ellis

We are sad to report that our former President & CEO, Charles R. Ellis, died May 4, 2008, at home in Paris, France, after a brief brave battle with cancer.

A graduate of Princeton University, Charles began his career teaching at a preparatory school and working for Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher and activist. Charles soon found a balance between the intellectual life and concerns of making a living by turning to publishing. After successful stints in executive positions at Pergamon Press, D.C. Heath, and Elsevier Science Publishing Company, he joined John Wiley & Sons, Inc, in 1988, where he served as the President & CEO from 1990-98.

Charles led our company from the difficult days of the late 1980s into the sustained period of growth and profitability that continues into the present. A publisher by temperament and trade, Charles was instrumental in bringing about the company's revival and initiating its transition to a truly global corporation. On his watch, Wiley became profitable again; executed major strategic acquisitions including VCH Publishing Group, Alan R. Liss, and Jossey-Bass; was listed on the NYSE; and launched its first online ventures. In the year of Charles's retirement, the Financial Times ranked Wiley as the world's 27th most respected company.

Beyond his role in Wiley's resurgence, Charles has acted as an influential advocate for the worldwide publishing community. With a cosmopolitan perspective enhanced by European postings with Pergamon Press and Elsevier in his pre-Wiley days, Charles was President of the International Publishers Association. He was also Chair of the Association of American Publishers from 1992-94; in 1998, he received the AAP's highest honor, the Curtis Benjamin Award. He was an avid supporter of the Digital Object Identifier, a code embedded in digital content that helped lay the groundwork for publishing online; and worked tirelessly on behalf of intellectual property rights.

Those fortunate to have known and worked with this charming, sophisticated, and diplomatic man will miss him terribly. On behalf of the entire Wiley community, we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Sandi, and their family.

In lieu of flowers, donations to World Education, Inc., 44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210 (wei@worlded.org) are requested.