Organization: Book Advisors

David Lamb is an investment banker and consultant with four decades’ experience in publishing and the information industry. As the principal at STM Advisers, David works with C&E on engagements related to professional and academic publishing. Recent clients include the American National Standards Institute, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the New England Journal of Medicine, the American Astronomical Society, and the Mathematical Association of America.

In the consumer book publishing sphere, David has operated Book Advisors LLC since 2015 with partner Susan Reich. Together they have completed transactions with The McEvoy Group/Chronicle Books, Counterpoint Publishing, Hachette Livre, Rowman and Littlefield, and Laurence King Publishing. Book Advisors has also represented major publishers including Penguin Random House and DC Thomson & Co. Ltd. (Scotland) in consulting and buy-side engagements.

Earlier, as president of GSL Publishing Associates from 1996 to 2009 he executed significant sell-side transactions; his completed transactions include Motorbooks to Quarto plc (2007, $35 million), Timber Press to Workman (2006, undisclosed), Sterling Publishing to Barnes & Noble (2003, $122 million, co-broker), Avalon to Perseus (2007, undisclosed), Publishers Group West to AMS (2002, $38 million). David’s buy-side and consulting clientele included assignments from Penguin Random House, Workman Publishing, Chronicle Books, Egmont, HarperCollins, Publishers Group West, and Beacon Press among others. From 2009 to 2012 he owned and operated Vantage Press, a consumer self-publishing company.

At Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) from 1984 to 1995, Lamb was a Managing Director in a leading media investment bank with transaction responsibility covering all communications industry sectors with an emphasis on strategic mergers and acquisitions transactions for major firms. As chief general transaction strategist for the firm he presented strategic alternatives to many companies including Reed Elsevier, Time Warner, Times Mirror, The Walt Disney Company, Paramount Communications, GTE, Hachette, United Newspapers, and Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts.

Lamb began his career as a consultant and Director of New Media at Link Resources, an IDG company. He holds an A.B. from Harvard College. He divides his time between Portland, Oregon and New York City.