Departure of Publisher and CEO Meg LaBorde Kuehn

New York, NY (June 25, 2025) -- Kirkus Reviews, founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus and now the nation’s leading prepublication journal of book reviews, announces today the departure of Publisher and CEO, Meg LaBorde Kuehn, effective July 11, 2025. Judy Hottensen, the former Vice President and Associate Publisher of Grove/Atlantic, will serve as Interim CEO and assume all of the duties formerly performed by Kuehn.

Brought on as Kirkus’ Vice President of Business Development in early 2011, Kuehn was named COO in 2012, CEO in 2015 and Publisher in 2023. She oversees all business and editorial operations and is credited for leading the company’s turnaround and unprecedented growth after it was acquired from Nielsen in 2010. Herb Simon, Co-Chairman of Kirkus, says: “After years of visionary leadership and unwavering dedication, our beloved CEO is stepping down, leaving behind a legacy that will inspire us for years to come.” 

In her 14 years with Kirkus, Kuehn:

• Modernized the media company’s business model, resulting in a remarkable 400 percent growth in revenue;
• Transformed the once-feared (sometimes-loathed) brand into the top trade publication in the book industry with broad services supporting authors and publishers;
• Created jobs for editors, reviewers and industry professionals, growing the full-time staff 266 percent and more than doubling the number of freelance writers and editors getting regular work from Kirkus;
• Led the strategy, execution and art direction of two website redesigns and the print magazine redesign released in 2023;
• Developed and implemented the Kirkus Prize, one of the richest literary awards in America.

“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to lead this extraordinary company through change and growth. I’m most grateful for the opportunity to have worked with and encountered so many exceptional people through Kirkus. Their talent, integrity and dedication to books and the power of reading have been a constant source of inspiration and have made this journey profoundly meaningful,” Kuehn said.

 

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