John R. Ingram, Chairman of the Ingram Content companies, announced today that James Gray has been named Chief Strategy Officer for the content group. Mr. Gray was most recently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ingram Digital.

In his new role, Mr. Gray will bring his high level of industry knowledge and business development experience to bear to identify new opportunities in all of Ingram’s content areas, including physical distribution, print on demand, and digital content distribution, Mr. Ingram said.

Mike Lovett, the former CEO of Ingram Book Group and most recently Senior Vice President of Ingram Digital, is the new CEO of Ingram Digital. He was the lead executive who guided the early planning and development of Ingram’s first digital content business, called Ingram Digital Ventures.

“2008 was a tough year for the book industry, but tough times often bring innovation and tremendous new opportunities,” Mr. Ingram observed. “With James in this new role, we are taking advantage of his greatest skill – the unearthing of large and creative opportunities."

“Ingram today is the only service provider in the content industry with state-of-the-art physical and digital capabilities under one roof,” Mr. Ingram continued. “While digital has been James’ primary focus, he has shown great fluidity in moving between both the physical and the digital sides of the business, as most discussions with industry partners these days move dynamically back and forth between the two domains. Ingram is now poised to take advantage of the fact that our organization can marshal unique competencies to make it easier for our partners to sell more content in both formats, and I expect James will help our partners take advantage of opportunities in compelling, new ways.”

Mr. Gray had been CEO of Ingram Digital since January 2007, when he was named to oversee all of Ingram’s digital distribution businesses, including MyiLibrary and Vital Source Technologies, Inc. Mr. Ingram noted that the very successful transition of these businesses into the new Ingram Digital management structure has been completed with the content group of businesses ready for new growth.

An innovative leader in the digital content field, Mr. Gray is widely recognized as a visionary in the emerging industry. Mr. Ingram said this new role for Mr. Gray is part of the completion of the planned transition of both MyiLibrary and Coutts Information Services, both founded by Mr. Gray, into the Ingram family of companies.

MyiLibrary is the foundational piece of Ingram Digital’s Institutional Division. Coutts, the respected international library services company, is now an important part of Ingram Lightning Group.

Mr. Gray said today he is proud of the early accomplishments of Ingram Digital and is eager to bring new business opportunities to all the Ingram content companies.

“Ingram is now in a position unparalleled in the industry,” Mr. Gray said. “We are fast becoming a cornerstone of every publisher’s strategy – to be enabled in the digital world, while reducing costs through expanded use of print on demand and continuing to drive significant revenues through effective distribution of printed books."

“I am delighted to be taking this important role within Ingram and working with John Ingram, Skip Prichard (CEO of Ingram Lightning Group) and Mike Lovett and their teams to help drive the strategy that will see Ingram continue as an industry leading content distribution partner in the 21st Century.”

ABOUT INGRAM

The Ingram Content companies provide a broad range of physical and digital services to the book industry, and immediate access to the largest selection of books and book-related products in the industry. The Content companies are Ingram Digital, Lightning Source Inc., Ingram Book Company, Ingram International Inc., Ingram Library Services Inc., Coutts Information Services, Ingram Periodicals Inc., Ingram Publishers Services Inc., Spring Arbor Distributors Inc. and Tennessee Book Company LLC.