The Frankfurt Book Fair has announced the appointment of Joachim Kaufmann as its next president and CEO, effective September 1, following the conclusion of this year’s fair, scheduled to take place from October 7 to 11. Kaufmann succeeds Juergen Boos, who has led the world’s largest book fair since 2005 and played a central role in shaping its global standing over the past two decades.
Kaufmann brings extensive publishing experience to the role, having served since 2006 as CEO of Carlsen Verlag, a Hamburg-based subsidiary of the Bonnier Group. During his tenure, he helped grow Carlsen into one of Germany’s leading trade publishers, while also holding senior positions within the Bonnier Group and serving on the board of Bonnier Books UK. He was instrumental in the group’s expansion into new international markets, including Poland and China.
Earlier in his career, Kaufmann held sales and marketing roles at several major publishing houses and has long been active in representing German publishers internationally through the International Publishers Association and the Federation of European Publishers. Commenting on the appointment, Karsten Schmidt-Hern, chairman of Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, described Kaufmann as the “ideal successor” to Juergen Boos. Boos himself welcomed the decision, praising Kaufmann’s leadership, vision, and ability to inspire collaboration within the global book industry.