Rebuck, Gail (1950–)
Rebuck, Gail (1950–)
English businesswoman. Born Gail Denise Rebuck, Feb 10, 1950, in London, England; attended Lycée Français; graduate of University of Sussex; m. Philip Gould (advisor to Tony Blair).
One of the most powerful women in UK publishing, began career as production assistant with Grisewood & Dempsey (1975–76); progressed through editorial ranks at Robert Nicholson Publications to become publisher (1976–78); joined Hamlyn Group (1979) and helped establish mass-market paperbacks division; co-founded Century Publishing (1982–85); merged company with Century Hutchinson, serving as publisher (1985–89), until company was bought by Random House; became chair of Random House Division (1989); appointed chair and chief executive of Random House UK Ltd. (1991), taking on responsibility for group and subsidiaries in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia; remained in position when company was bought by international media group, Bertelsman (1999), overseeing operations of Jonathan Cape, Chatto & Windus, Heinemann, Doubleday, Arrow, Vintage, and Corgi paperbacks.