Executive finance and operations leader departs from The Guardian to take on a new role at Bloomsbury Publishing
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Appoints Keith Underwood as CFO and COO
In a significant move, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc has announced the appointment of Keith Underwood as its new Chief Financial Officer and Operating Officer, effective from February 2, 2026. Underwood joins the publishing house with a wealth of experience in media, finance, operations, and AI, making him ideally suited to help Bloomsbury achieve its ambitions.
Underwood is moving from his current role at Guardian Media Group, where he has been the chief financial and operating officer. Before that, he spent more than eight years on the executive committee of Channel 4, serving as the CFO and COO. He has also worked at Discovery Networks International, Sky, and PwC.
Nigel Newton, founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, is looking forward to working with Underwood and benefiting from his expertise. Underwood's arrival at Bloomsbury comes as the company looks to leverage AI for licensing content, aiming for significant future revenue.
Underwood joins Bloomsbury at a time when the company is experiencing growth. In the year to 28th February, the company's pre-tax profit fell 22% to £32.5m, although revenue grew 5% to £361m. Underwood acknowledges Penny Scott-Bayfield's huge contribution to Bloomsbury and expresses gratitude for her as a colleague. Scott-Bayfield, the current group finance director at Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, is stepping down to pursue a portfolio career after seven years in the role.
Underwood joins Bloomsbury with a focus on harnessing new opportunities and delivering sustained success in the years ahead, particularly in the areas of AI and operational efficiency. He believes that Bloomsbury has achieved impressive growth with a diversified, high-quality portfolio distributed across more geographies and formats than ever before.
Keith Underwood is also a board member of Digital Catapult, a digital technology innovation organization. His experience and expertise in the digital sector are expected to be invaluable to Bloomsbury as it navigates the rapidly changing publishing landscape.
The appointment of Keith Underwood is a strategic move for Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, as it positions the company for continued growth and success in the digital age. Underwood is set to join the company on 2nd February 2026.
This article does not provide specific details about the impact of AI on understanding people, as that information was not present in the provided bullet points.
