Harcourt General Names Pfeffer President Of HarcourtOnline

Business Wire, Oct 26, 1998

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 26, 1998--Harcourt General, Inc. (NYSE:H) announced today that its publishing and educational services subsidiary, Harcourt Brace, has promoted Rubin H. Pfeffer, former president of Harcourt Brace Trade Publishers, to the newly created position of president, HarcourtOnline, where he will be responsible for overseeing all of Harcourt Brace's worldwide brand marketing and Internet initiatives.

In his new role, Mr. Pfeffer, 47, will be responsible for overseeing development of the company's educational, training, testing, assessment and career counseling businesses on the World Wide Web under the common umbrella of a global Harcourt brand. HarcourtOnline will use the Internet as a primary method of communicating the company's image, identifying and developing new on-line markets for products and services, and coordinating the efforts of the Company's business units on web-based infrastructure and technology.

"Because the Internet will be such a valuable and dynamic medium for building our image as the world's pre-eminent education company and communicating that message to our customers around the world, we believe HarcourtOnline will be a critical element of our future success," said Brian J. Knez, president and chief executive officer of Harcourt Brace. "Rubin's leadership skills, his 24 years of consumer publishing experience with the Company, and his sophisticated sense of style are the perfect blend of skills to drive this ambitious project."

Mr. Pfeffer's promotion is effective immediately. He has been succeeded as president of Harcourt Brace Trade Publishers by Dan Farley, who previously headed the adult division of Harcourt Brace Trade.

Harcourt General, Inc., a leading global multiple-media publisher, provides educational, career-training and assessment products and services to the classroom, corporate, medical, professional and consumer markets. The Company is also a leading specialty retailer through its 54% interest in The Neiman Marcus Group (NYSE:NMG).