Author: Liz Ferguson

Liz Ferguson is a respected leader in the world of academic publishing and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Wiley’s global Research Publishing division.

With more than 20 years of experience in scientific, technical, and medical (STM) publishing, Liz has built a career focused on innovation, integrity, and strategic leadership. She is especially known for her ability to design and lead organizations in ways that meet the demands of a rapidly changing industry.

At Wiley, Liz is responsible for overseeing a vast portfolio of nearly 2,000 journals. She plays a central role in shaping Wiley’s global publishing strategy, making sure the company adapts to changes in the market while continuing to deliver high-quality research content. Her leadership ensures that operational systems are well-aligned with both business goals and the broader needs of the academic community.

Before taking on her current role, Liz held several senior positions at Wiley, including Vice President of Open Research. In that role, she led the company’s efforts to expand open access publishing—helping researchers share their work more freely and building new business models that support sustainable, open publishing. Her strategic thinking was especially important during Wiley’s acquisition of Hindawi, a major open access publisher. Liz helped guide the integration of two very different publishing cultures and technologies, showing her strong skills in managing organizational change.

Throughout her career, Liz has been a strong advocate for research integrity and transparency. She believes that solid organizational structures are key to maintaining trust and quality in scholarly publishing. Her work has helped set new standards for how publishing operations are run, with a focus on long-term value rather than short-term trends.

In addition to her work at Wiley, Liz contributes to the broader publishing community through leadership roles on several boards, including the STM Association Board and the Royal Society’s Publishing Board. She is a frequent speaker and contributor on topics such as open access, organizational strategy, and innovation in publishing.

Liz Ferguson’s career is a strong example of how thoughtful leadership and strategic design can help academic publishing evolve. She continues to shape the future of the field by balancing innovation with the need for rigorous standards, while also working to make research more accessible to people around the world.