Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Names Jim Nicholson President of Riverside Publishing

BOSTON — February 25, 2010 — Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt today announced that former Company leader Jim Nicholson will return as President of Riverside Publishing, the professional and educational assessment arm of K–12 Publishers known for such highly regarded brands as The Iowa Tests®, the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests® and Woodcock-Johnson® III, as well as the Edusoft® Assessment Management System, DataDirector and Assess2Know®.

“With more than 20 years of experience in educational publishing and a strong record of leadership within the Company, Jim brings the expertise and strategic insight necessary to successfully drive our Riverside portfolio forward,” said Mike Lavelle, K–12 President, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “Jim’s intimate knowledge of the business is an invaluable asset to us as we continue to transform Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and we are very pleased to have him back at Riverside.”

Prior to rejoining the Company, Jim served as Vice President of Finance for the Literacy business unit of Pearson Education. Before that, he was Vice President of Strategic Business Solutions for Breakthrough Technologies, a consulting firm focused on new product development and improving business operations whose clients included Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

In his many years at Riverside, Jim served as interim General Manager as well as Vice President of Finance and Chief Operating Officer. He began his publishing career in 1990 at Scott Foresman, a division of Pearson PLC, where he rose quickly through the ranks from Manager to Vice President within three years. Jim received his Master of Business Administration from DePaul University in Chicago and his Bachelor of Science from Indiana University.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company is a global education leader and the world’s largest publisher of educational materials for pre-K–12 schools. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of best-in-class educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for students and educators. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, visit www.hmhpub.com.

CONTACT:
Josef Blumenfeld
Vice President, Communications
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5432
josef.blumenfeld@hmhpub.com