Christoph Pienkoss to Lead IPA Educational Publishers Forum, José Manuel Anta Named Vice Chair

Christoph Pienkoss becomes Chair of the IPA Educational Publishers Forum, with José Manuel Anta as Vice Chair, highlighting global collaboration in K–12 publishing.

on Feb 05, 2026

Christoph Pienkoss to Lead IPA Educational Publishers Forum, José Manuel Anta Named Vice Chair

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has announced the new leadership of its Educational Publishers Forum, the international platform that brings together K–12 educational publishers worldwide. Christoph Pienkoss, from Germany’s Verband Bildungsmedien, will assume the role of Chair, succeeding Brian Gilsenan of Ireland’s C.J. Fallon. In a related move, José Manuel Anta of the Spanish Publishers Federation has been named Vice Chair.

The educational publishing industry continues to be a crucial part of the global publishing sector, supporting learning systems with both print and digital content. The IPA Educational Publishers Forum serves as a dedicated space for professional collaboration, hosting in-person and virtual meetings throughout the year to discuss best practices, innovation, and policy developments at national, regional, and international levels.

In a statement, outgoing Chair Brian Gilsenan, who took office in 2024, reflected on his tenure and highlighted the forum’s work in bringing together global colleagues and organisations such as the UN, UNESCO, and OECD to underline the value educational publishers provide to governments, teachers, and students worldwide.

Incoming Chair Christoph Pienkoss stressed the importance of educational publishers in delivering diverse, locally adapted learning materials through collaboration with educators and government bodies. He also noted that he assumes the role at a challenging time, as some governments are increasingly centralising or nationalising educational publishing and developing their own platforms, which could affect publishing freedom and market diversity.

The IPA Educational Publishers Forum includes K–12 publishers that are members of IPA member associations as well as direct members in countries without an IPA presence. The IPA currently represents 107 publishing associations across 85 countries, highlighting the forum’s global reach.