The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now

Robert Waddington

Group Sales Director

As Group Sales Director, I look after our sales teams selling across both the UK and internationally.  Like a lot of people with careers in sales, never once did I imagine myself as a sales person. However, Sales today is very different to what it was twenty or thirty years ago. After starting my career as a retail buyer for ASDA/Wal-Mart, I quickly realised that the most successful sales people are those who work in partnership with retailers. Sales now touch every area of our business and everyone I work with at Penguin Random House is out to achieve the best possible result for our authors by working with our retail partners and exploring new opportunities around the world. 

A book that's left a deep impression on meWaterborne by Bruce Murkoff (a book that taught me however much you might love it, you can’t make it sell!)

My literary hero: Tess of the d’Urbervilles (everybody should read Thomas Hardy).

A book I'd recommend to everyoneMudbound by Hilary Jordan; my favourite book where I’ve been involved with the publication. Read the book, don’t watch the film.

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more