Speeches
John Wiley & Sons 200th Anniversary Celebration
Remarks by Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold
Friday, April 13, 2007
Chijmes Singapore
Thank you, Mark. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Peter, it is a pleasure to be here with you and your colleagues to join John Wiley & Sons’ bicentennial celebration. For two hundred years, Wiley has made an indelible mark on the American and global publishing scene, reaching readers around the world with your books – including me. I am delighted that you have selected Singapore as the headquarters for your Asian publishing operations.
For over two centuries, Wiley has championed early American literature, produced textbooks that helped define fields of study, and published the works of Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners. You have opened new frontiers with your publications, from the specialized research of notable scientists such as Einstein to the broadly popular “For Dummies” books that de-mystify everything from the technical complexities of computers to personal finance.
Wiley's strong financial performance and distinctive culture have earned it many a special recognition, including:
- FORBES Magazine placed Wiley on its 2007 Platinum list of the “400 Best Big Companies in America”; and
- FORTUNE Magazine listed it as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2005 and 2006.
Today, Wiley continues to succeed and grow. Its secrets of success are building long-term relationships with customers; increasing profitability, cash flow, and return on investment; and being regarded by authors and consumers alike as "the" publisher for scientists, researchers, teachers, and entrepreneurs.
In Singapore, Wiley has found the ideal place for its regional operation, and we’re glad you’re here. You are taking advantage of Singapore's strong IPR regime and the warm welcome that Singapore extends to U.S. companies under our bilateral Free Trade Agreement. In addition, Singapore's excellent communications and transportation links, talented workforce, secure and stable environment, competitive cost base, and widespread use of the English language are tailor-made for Wiley's operations as you head into your third century of publishing. I understand that Wiley has published successful Singapore-based authors including John Davis, Paul Temporal, and Jim Atchinson, whose books on marketing and branding have enjoyed great popularity throughout Asia. Your market is clearly eager for more.
Thank you for including me in Wiley’s bicentennial celebrations this evening. I wish you great success in the next century.