Ben Ashcroft, De Gruyter Brill

Ben Ashcroft has spent his career building relationships in academic publishing. As Chief Commercial Officer of De Gruyter Brill - the combined entity that emerged from Brill's acquisition by De Gruyter in 2024 - he now sits at the centre of one of the most significant mergers the sector has seen in years. In this episode, Ben talks openly about what integration actually demands, what's been lost and gained in two becoming one, and what the future of publishing in an AI-mediated world means for the combined business.