Publishing organisation Hachette UK has appointed Ella Patel as its new head of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
Reporting to group HR director Lisa Waterman, Patel will be instrumental in Hachette UK’s ongoing commitment to its initiative Changing the Story, which ensures all voices, perspectives, and ideas are included in its partnerships, people and publishing.
She will also join the cross-Atlantic Changing the Story team, which is headed up by Carrie Bloxson, Hachette’s chief DEI officer, and Sara Munjack, Hachette Book Group’s director of DEI.
Since joining in 2018, Patel has been co-chair of Thrive, the employer’s Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic employee network; worked with senior leadership to deliver a DEI strategy, ethnicity pay gap report and resulting action plans; developed staff retention forums; and built community through events and partnerships.
She has previously held the role of head of fiction publicity at Quercus Books, where she led strategy for various authors.
Patel said: “I’m incredibly proud to be stepping into this role at Hachette, a organisation where I’ve seen and experienced first‑hand the impact that creative and intentional DEI work can have on people, culture and publishing decisions. I’m excited to work with my UK and international colleagues to build on our Changing the Story mission and champion a culture rooted in inclusion.”
Waterman added: “I’m thrilled for Ella to be joining the team in this newly elevated role of head of DEI which is a critical role for our business. She is passionate about Hachette’s continued commitment to DEI, as well as being empathetic, diligent and commercial in approach. We are lucky to have her onboard.”
Bloxson said: “Ella’s appointment is both a recognition of the depth of expertise she already brings and a signal of Hachette’s investment in leadership, culture, and internal talent. She understands that DEI is not a parallel effort or a set of good intentions, but a core business capability that drives performance and shapes how we lead, publish, and grow.”
