A New Chapter for the Book Industry: Allison Belan Appointed to Lead BISG

The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) is entering a new era of leadership. The organization, which serves as the central nervous system for publishing standards and supply chain efficiency, has announced that Allison Belan will serve as its ninth executive director.

Belan steps into the role as a seasoned industry veteran, succeeding Brian O’Leary, who is retiring on June 30 after years of guiding the organization through a period of significant digital upheaval.

Belan’s appointment brings a wealth of "boots-on-the-ground" experience to the BISG. She joins the group following a 22-year tenure at Duke University Press, where she most recently served as Director of Strategic Innovation and Services.

During her time at Duke, Belan was responsible for technology operations and publishing infrastructure for both books and journals. Additionally, Belan led the launch of the Scholarly Publishing Collective, a critical publishing services business that manages content hosting, sales and fulfillment for nonprofit publishers.

Matt Kennell, BISG Board Chair, emphasized that this technical fluency is exactly what the organization needs. "Allison joins BISG with hands-on knowledge of our core topics, including supply chain, metadata, rights management, and accessibility," Kennell noted, adding that she possesses the "C-suite credibility" required to unite stakeholders across the publishing landscape.

The BISG is the quiet engine behind how books move from authors to readers. Over the last 50 years, the group has been responsible for the industry’s most vital infrastructure, including the creation of BISAC subject codes; transition to the 13-digit ISBN; and the ongoing development of modern metadata standards.

Belan is taking over at a pivotal moment. She highlighted the organization’s "Book Publishing Next" initiative, an ambitious roadmap designed to modernize the book supply chain, as a primary reason for her excitement.

"Its contributions are foundational to the modern supply chain," Belan said. "I’m honored and excited to be a part of the transformations that BISG will lead in the future."

While Belan’s official start date is June 22, the baton-passing process is already in full swing. To ensure a smooth handover from O’Leary, the BISG has organized a series of meet-and-greets over the next several weeks, giving members a chance to engage with the new director before she formally takes the reins.

As publishing grapples with new challenges in AI, global logistics, and digital accessibility, Belan’s background in strategic innovation suggests that the BISG will continue to be the steady hand guiding the industry toward its next chapter.