Donovan joins VitalSource as Managing Director for EMEA and Asia-Pacific

Building on its considerable and sustained global presence, and as part of the ongoing expansion of its international team, VitalSource Technologies LLC has hired John Donovan as Managing Director, leading the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions.

“John has many years of experience establishing and growing innovative businesses in higher education publishing and technology, and he will have responsibility for the continued growth of VitalSource’s business and the business of our partners across the region,” said Pep Carrera, VitalSource’s COO. “John inherits a fast-growing team in the U.K., Germany, Dubai, and Australia and will work closely with key regional partners to develop and implement innovative digital solutions for all levels of education.”

Donovan has extensive experience in publishing and technology, most recently serving as Director of Global Sales and Business Development for Epigeum, an online courseware provider with roots in Imperial College, London. Before that, Donovan spent 14 years with McGraw-Hill Education. In his last role as Managing Director of  Europe and South Africa, he led the acceleration of McGraw Hill’s transition from a print publishing company to a provider of technology-enabled solutions.

“I feel fortunate to be joining such an innovative company with a passion for delivering immersive and engaging educational content,” said Donovan. “The shift towards a greater emphasis on student learning and measurement of outcomes presents a great opportunity for VitalSource to collaborate with higher education institutions to help them fulfill their digital teaching and learning potential.”

International Growth

Over the past 12 months, VitalSource has grown to serve 5.7 million unique users through its various content creation and delivery platforms. Today, one in four of those users are from outside the United States. 

Donovan’s addition to VitalSource represents only a portion of the growth of the company’s international organization. Recently Laura Annis was promoted to Customer Success Director and Jeni Evans to Business Development Director. In all, VitalSource has grown its global team by almost 50 percent, with 20 employees in the U.K. alone – and is currently recruiting to grow its marketing team.

Local expertise and focus allow VitalSource to work closely with key educational stakeholders. In 2016, it hosted industry events in London, Leeds, Dubai and Melbourne. Its 2017 series opens on 16 March with an event in London, bringing together more than 100 publishers, institutions and resellers. 

Earlier this year, VitalSource received its re-accreditation from the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), an organization committed to raising the profile of workplace learning globally.