Editing Pearson plc (section)

=== Pearson Education and corporate refocus 1998 to 2016 ===
==== Scardino and new focus on education ====
[[Marjorie Scardino]], who was CEO of Pearson plc from 1997 to 2013, increasingly focused the conglomerate on education and on making education acquisitions.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Baird |first1=Dugald |last2=Sabbagh |first2=Dan |title=Pearson chief executive Marjorie Scardino to step down |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/oct/03/pearson-marjorie-scardino-step-down |access-date=9 September 2023 |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |date=3 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Chozick |first1=Amy |title=Scardino, Chief of Pearson, to Step Down |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/business/media/scardino-ceo-of-pearson-to-step-down.html |access-date=9 September 2023 |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |date=3 October 2012}}</ref> In 1998, Pearson plc purchased the education division of [[Simon & Schuster]], which included [[Prentice Hall]], [[Allyn & Bacon]],<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Walsh |first1=Mark |title=Pearson Hopes To "Widen the Definition Of Education" |url=https://www.edweek.org/education-industry/pearson-hopes-to-widen-the-definition-of-education/2001/02 |access-date=9 September 2023 |publisher=[[Education Week]] |date=21 February 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Selingo |first1=Jeffrey J. |title=British Publisher Announces Plan to Buy Simon & Schuster's Textbook Division |url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/british-publisher-announces-plan-to-buy-simon-schusters-textbook-division-103710/ |access-date=9 September 2023 |publisher=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]] |date=19 May 1998}}</ref> and parts of [[Macmillan Inc.]] including the Macmillan name.<ref name="dustbin">{{cite web |title=Macmillan Rises from the Dustbin |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/3303-macmillan-rises-from-the-dustbin.html |access-date=7 December 2023 |publisher=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=12 October 2007}}</ref><ref name="Arm Now">{{cite web |last1=Milliot |first1=Jim |title=Holtzbrinck's U.S. Arm Now Macmillan |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/612-holtzbrinck-s-u-s-arm-now-macmillan.html |access-date=7 December 2023 |publisher=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=9 October 2007}}</ref> Later in 1998 it merged Simon & Schuster's educational business with Addison Wesley Longman to form [[Pearson Education]].<ref name="Pearson Education launched">{{cite web |title=Pearson Education: World's Leading Education Business Is Launched |url=http://www.pearson.com/news/contents/headline/current/educate.htm/ |website=pearson.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990224164746/http://www.pearson.com/news/contents/headline/current/educate.htm/ |archive-date=24 February 1999 |date=30 November 1998}}</ref>

Pearson sold and divested most of its Simon & Schuster divisions in 1999.<ref>
* {{cite web |date=24 May 1999 |title=Pearson Sells Two Former S&S Units |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990524/32256-pearson-sells-two-former-s-amp-s-units.html |access-date=15 October 2019 |website=publishersweekly.com}}
* {{cite web |last=Milliot |first=Jim |date=31 May 1999 |title=Wiley, Kluwer Acquire Two Pearson Units |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990531/35347-wiley-kluwer-acquire-two-pearson-units.html |access-date=15 October 2019 |website=publishersweekly.com}}
* {{cite web |last=Milliot |first=Jim |date=31 May 1999 |title=Six Macmillan Library Kids Imprints Closed |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990531/40646-six-macmillan-library-kids-imprints-closed.html |access-date=15 October 2019 |website=publishersweekly.com}}
* {{cite web |date=28 June 1999 |title=Macmillan Library Units to Join Gale |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990628/34076-macmillan-library-units-to-join-gale.html |access-date=15 October 2019 |website=publishersweekly.com}}
* {{cite web |last1=Milliot |first1=Jim |last2=Baker |first2=John F. |date=5 July 1999 |title=IDG Books Buys Macmillan General Reference |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990705/24783-idg-books-buys-macmillan-general-reference.html |access-date=15 October 2019 |website=publishersweekly.com}}
</ref>

In March 2000 Pearson acquired the illustrated reference publisher [[Dorling Kindersley]] and integrated it within Penguin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/696695.stm |title=Pearson buys Dorling Kindersley |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=31 March 2000 |access-date=29 December 2012}}</ref> It acquired National Computer Systems (NCS) in September 2000, entering the educational assessment and school management systems market in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business-international/Pearson-to-acquire-NCS-for-$25-billion-Move-will-create-worlds-top-education-firm.html |title=Pearson buys NCS |website=faqs.org |access-date=18 April 2011}}</ref>

In 2002, Pearson purchased [[Rough Guides]], the travel publisher, and brought it under Penguin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pearson Timeline |url=http://www.pearsonlongman.com/longman_greece/pearson_timeline.asp |website=pearsonlongman.com |access-date=15 February 2024}}</ref>

In 2003 it acquired [[Edexcel]],<ref name="marking">{{Cite web |author=Rebecca Smithers and Kevin Massy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jun/30/politics.schools |title=New marking fiasco |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=30 June 2003 |access-date=18 April 2011}}</ref> a provider of qualifications in the UK, and in 2004 acquired about 80% stake in Meximerica Media Inc for the swelling U.S. Hispanic market.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB108207230225484474 |title=Pearson Acquires Newspaper Concern For Hispanic Market |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=16 April 2004}}</ref> Pearson purchased a series of other testing and assessment businesses, including Knowledge Technologies in 2004,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pearsonkt.com/company.shtml |title=Pearson Knowledge Technologies |website=pearsonkt.com |access-date=18 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715061505/http://www.pearsonkt.com/company.shtml |archive-date=15 July 2011}}</ref> AGS in 2005,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200506/ai_n14757442 |title=Pearson buys AGS Publishing for $270 million &#124; AFP &#124; Find Articles at BNET |date=3 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103222154/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200506/ai_n14757442 |archive-date=3 January 2009}}</ref> and Promissor in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6301535.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609182138/http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6301535.html |url-status=dead |title=Peason buys Promissor |archive-date=9 June 2007 |website=publishersweekly.com}}</ref> It acquired National Evaluation Systems, a provider of customised state assessments for teacher certification in the US, in 2006<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gazettenet.com/2006/04/26/nes-sold-global-company-licensing-tests-key?SESSa1e83f95fbc8e85404d6e6764114bd93=gnews |title=NES sold to global company |access-date=26 April 2006 |website=gazettenet.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507135623/http://www.gazettenet.com/2006/04/26/nes-sold-global-company-licensing-tests-key?SESSa1e83f95fbc8e85404d6e6764114bd93=gnews |archive-date=7 May 2013}}</ref> and acquired eCollege, a digital learning technology group, in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nagel |first=David |url=http://campustechnology.com/articles/2007/05/pearson-to-acquire-ecollege.aspx |title=Pearson To Acquire College |website=campustechnology.com |date=16 May 2007 |access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref>

It sold [[Silver Burdett]] Ginn Religion, a Catholic publishing division it operated under the [[Scott Foresman]] imprint, to [[RCL Benziger]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 September 2007 |title=RCL Publishing LLC ("RCL Benziger"), a CFM Religion Publishing Group LLC division, announced today that it has acquired the assets of Silver Burdett Ginn Religion, a Scott Foresman imprint, from Pearson Education |url=http://www.wicksgroup.com/newsContent.asp?pageID=77&newsID=15 |website=wicksgroup.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015420/http://www.wicksgroup.com/newsContent.asp?pageID=77&newsID=15 |archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref> In 2007 Pearson Education sold the Macmillan name to [[Holtzbrinck Publishing Group]],<ref name="dustbin"/><ref name="Arm Now"/> which had purchased Macmillan Publishing Ltd. in the late 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Holtzbrinck |url=https://ulib.niu.edu/publishers/Holtzbrinck.htm |publisher=[[Northern Illinois University]] |access-date=7 December 2023}}</ref>

In 2008 Pearson acquired [[Harcourt Assessment]] and [[Harcourt (publisher)|Harcourt Education International]] from [[Reed Elsevier]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pearson.com/news/2007/may/pearson-acquires-harcourt-assessment-and-harcourt-education-inter.html |title=Pearson acquires Harcourt Assessment and Harcourt Education International from Reed Elsevier |access-date=11 May 2013 |publisher=Pearson |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214182021/http://www.pearson.com/news/2007/may/pearson-acquires-harcourt-assessment-and-harcourt-education-inter.html |archive-date=14 December 2012}}</ref> and merged them into Pearson Assessment & Information.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pearsonassessments.com/haiweb/Cultures/en-US/Site/Community/PostSecondary/NewsEvents/PressReleases/NewsRelease013008.htm |title=Pearson Completes Acquisition of Harcourt Assessment |access-date=16 July 2011 |publisher=Assessment & Information group of Pearson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327140816/http://www.pearsonassessments.com/haiweb/Cultures/en-US/Site/Community/PostSecondary/NewsEvents/PressReleases/NewsRelease013008.htm |archive-date=27 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In February 2008, Pearson announced the sale of its Pearson Data Management Division (formerly the scanner manufacturing and servicing division of NCS Inc.) to [[Optical answer sheet|Scantron]] Corporation (part of [[M&F Worldwide]]) which had been its main competitor.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Completes the Acquisition of Pearson's Data Management Business |publisher=Pearson plc |date=24 February 2008 |url=http://datamanagement.scantron.com/news/08-02-24.htm |access-date=8 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408093448/http://datamanagement.scantron.com/news/08-02-24.htm |archive-date=8 April 2008}}</ref>

In 2010, Pearson acquired the adult English training service Wall Street Institute<ref>{{cite web |last=Neilan |first=Catherine |url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/pearson-buys-wall-street-institute-92m-cash |title=Pearson buys Wall Street Institute for $92m in cash |date=29 July 2010 |website=thebookseller.com |access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref> and the school learning systems division of Sistema Educacional Brasileiro (SEB).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Browning |first1=Jonathan |last2=Saitto |first2=Serena |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-07-22/pearson-buys-sistema-educacional-brasileiro-learning-unit-for-499-million |title=Pearson Buys Sistema Learning Unit for $499 Million |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=22 July 2010 |access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref> Also in 2010, the company sold its 61% stake in Interactive Data to investment funds managed by [[Silver Lake Partners]] and [[Warburg Pincus]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Sweney |first=Mark |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/may/04/paerson-idc-interactive-data-corporation |title=Pearson sells IDC stake for $2bn |date=4 May 2010 |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref>

==== Pearson Education rebrands as Pearson (2011) and Pearson plc rebrands as education-only (2016) ====
Pearson Education was rebranded as simply Pearson in 2011.<ref name="About Us 2011">{{cite web |title=About Pearson |url=http://www.pearsoned.com/about-us/ |website=pearsoned.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013025843/http://www.pearsoned.com/about-us/ |archive-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

In July 2011, Pearson announced the creation of [[Pearson College (UK)|Pearson College]], a British degree provider based in London.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gill |first=John |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=416714 |title=Royal Holloway to validate new Pearson degree |access-date=17 November 2012 |publisher=[[Times Higher Education]] |date=4 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/aug/14/ft-owners-pearson-plan-college?newsfeed=true |title=FT owners plan college for business degrees |access-date=17 November 2012 |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=14 August 2012}}</ref> Also in 2011, Pearson acquired [[Connections Academy|Connections Education]] and agreed to sell its 50% stake in FTSE International Limited to the London Stock Exchange for £450 million.<ref>{{cite web |last=Halliday |first=Josh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/dec/12/pearson-to-sell-ftse-stake-450m |title=Pearson to sell FTSE stake for £450m |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=12 December 2011 |access-date=21 March 2015}}</ref> In 2011, Pearson also increased its stake in TutorVista to 76%.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mark Sweney |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/jan/18/pearson-tutorvista-india |title=Pearson buys controlling stake in TutorVista for $127m |publisher=[[The Guardian]] |date=18 January 2011 |access-date=4 December 2016}}</ref>

In May 2012 Pearson announced its acquisition of GlobalEnglish Corporation, an American [[Business English]] software and solutions company, in an all-cash transaction.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pearson's world-leading English learning business strengthens its position in the corporate market |url=http://www.globalenglish.com/whoweare/newsroom/press_releases/782 |website=globalenglish.com |access-date=31 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707010743/http://www.globalenglish.com/whoweare/newsroom/press_releases/782 |archive-date=7 July 2012}}</ref>

In October 2012 Pearson entered into talks with rival conglomerate Bertelsmann, over the possibility of combining their respective publishing companies, [[Penguin Group]] and [[Random House]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eaf8eaaa-1eac-11e2-be82-00144feabdc0.html |title=Penguin and Random House in merger talks |publisher=[[Financial Times]] |date=25 October 2012}}</ref> and said it would merge Penguin Books with Bertelsmann's Random House to create the world's biggest consumer book publisher.<ref>{{cite web |last=Holton |first=Kate |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pearson-idUSBRE89S0C120121029 |title=Random, Penguin merging to form leading publisher |date=29 October 2012 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |access-date=1 July 2017 |archive-date=28 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128104202/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/29/us-pearson-idUSBRE89S0C120121029 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2013, following government changes to apprenticeship funding rules, Pearson sold its Pearson in Practice, a UK vocational training business, to [[West Nottinghamshire College]], which renamed it Vision Workforce Skills.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wnc.ac.uk/About-Us/News-And-Events/Press-Release.aspx?PRID=629 |title=Training provider Pearson in Practice to transfer over to West Nottinghamshire College |date=21 February 2013 |website=wnc.ac.uk |publisher=[[Vision West Nottinghamshire College|West Nottinghamshire College]] |access-date=10 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402175647/http://wnc.ac.uk/About-Us/News-And-Events/Press-Release.aspx?PRID=629 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visionworkforceskills.co.uk/ |title=Vision Workforce Skills |website=visionworkforceskills.co.uk |access-date=10 June 2013}}</ref>

In May 2013, Pearson announced a new restructuring plan to invest in digital learning and emerging markets, after predicting weaker earnings.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Young |first1=Sarah |title=Pearson sees 2013 flat, begins restructuring plan |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-pearson-idUKBRE91O08I20130225 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108195815/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-pearson-idUKBRE91O08I20130225 |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 January 2016 |access-date=18 January 2015 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=25 February 2013}}</ref> The change supported the decoupling of the Penguin consumer publishing business into a separate entity with Random House (forming [[Penguin Random House]]). The new structure combined the separate education companies, Pearson International and Pearson North America under one Pearson company and Pearson reorganised around three global lines of business – School, Higher Education and Professional. The Financial Times Group and Pearson English formed part of Pearson Professional.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite web |last=Gordon |first=Kathy |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324659404578500433025096180 |title=Pearson details restructuring |publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=23 May 2013 |access-date=26 June 2013}}</ref>

In July 2014, the company announced it had cut 4,000 jobs, representing 10% of the company's workforce.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Orihuela |first1=Rodrigo |last2=Schweizer |first2=Kristen |title=Pearson cutting 4,000 jobs as first-half sales decline |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-25/pearson-first-half-sales-drop-6-5-percent-on-strength-of-pound.html |access-date=18 January 2015 |website=bloomberg.com |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=25 July 2014}}</ref>

Pearson announced in July 2015 that it had agreed to sell the FT Group, which includes business daily ''[[Financial Times]]'', to Japanese media group [[Nihon Keizai Shimbun|Nikkei]] for £844 million, or $1.32 billion. The sale does not include FT Group's London property at One Southwark Bridge.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d7e95338-3127-11e5-8873-775ba7c2ea3d.html |title=Nikkei to buy FT Group for £844m from Pearson |author=Henry Mance, Arash Massoudi and James Fontanella-Khan |publisher=[[Financial Times]] |date=23 July 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> Pearson retained the publishing rights to FT Press and licensed the trademark from Nikkei.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pearson FT Press |url=https://www.informit.com/promotions/pearson-ft-press-141135 |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=informit.com}}</ref> In August 2015, Pearson's sold its 50% stake in ''[[The Economist]]'' to the [[Agnelli family]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Pearson sells Economist Group stake |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=12 August 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33878566 |access-date=12 August 2015}}</ref> who previously held 4.7% of the group.<ref name="BrandRepublic 2015-07-28">{{cite web |url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/article/pearson-sell-economist-group-stake/1357659 |title=Pearson to sell Economist Group stake |author=Omar Oakes |publisher=[[Haymarket Media Group|Brand Republic]] |date=27 July 2015 |access-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> The remaining 50% of The Economist Group is owned by the [[Schroders]], [[Cadbury family|Cadburys]] and the [[Rothschild family|Rothschilds]].<ref name="BrandRepublic 2015-07-28"/>

Following the sale of its financial news publications ''Financial Times'' and ''The Economist'' in 2015, Pearson plc rebranded in January 2016 to focus solely on education, and the corporation adopted a new logo,<ref name="rebrand">{{Cite web |last1=Cowdrey |first1=Katherine |title=Pearson rebrand to reflect 100% focus on education |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/pearson-rebrands-reflect-100-focus-education-319864 |access-date=12 September 2023 |publisher=[[The Bookseller]] |date=7 January 2016}}</ref> the [[interrobang]] (‽), a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point, meant to convey a "combination of excitement, curiosity and individuality"<ref name="rebrand"/> and "the excitement and fun of learning".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Logo: The Interrobang |url=https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/corporate/global/pearson-dot-com-v2/files/logos/Pearson_Guidelines_Logo.pdf |website=pearson.com |access-date=12 September 2023}}</ref>