Form 8-K
8-K — JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
Accession: 0000107140-26-000028
Filed: 2026-05-06
Period: 2026-05-06
CIK: 0000107140
SIC: 2731 (BOOKS: PUBLISHING OR PUBLISHING AND PRINTING)
Item: Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Item: Financial Statements and Exhibits
Documents
8-K — jwa-20260506.htm (Primary)
EX-99.1 (exhibit991-jessicakowalski.htm)
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8-K
8-K (Primary)
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jwa-20260506
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
May 6, 2026
(Date of Report)
(Date of earliest event reported)
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
New York
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
001-11507 13-5593032
(Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)
111 River Street, Hoboken New Jersey
07030
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(201) 748-6000
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions.
☐
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share WLY New York Stock Exchange
Class B Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share WLYB New York Stock Exchange
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (the “Company” or “Wiley”) issued a press release today, May 6, 2026, announcing the departure of Jay Flynn, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Research and Learning, and the appointment of Jessica Kowalski, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Research, effective May 11, 2026.
Ms. Kowalski, joins Wiley from Microsoft, bringing more than two decades of experience leading knowledge, data, research publishing, and AI-enabled businesses at global scale, including senior operating roles at Amazon Web Services and RELX. She holds a Master of Arts from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from The George Washington University.
Mr. Flynn’s departure is without cause and, as a result, he is eligible for separation benefits in accordance with his previously filed Employment Letter dated September 28, 2021, and as described in the Company’s Executive Severance Policy, both of which were previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as exhibits to the Company’s Form 10-K.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
The following exhibits are being “furnished” as part of this Current Report on Form 8-K:
Exhibit No. Description
99.1 - Press release dated May 6, 2026 "Wiley Names Jessica Kowalski Executive Vice President and General Manager, Research"
104 - Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
(Registrant)
By /s/ Matthew S. Kissner
Matthew S. Kissner
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dated: May 6, 2026
EX-99.1
EX-99.1
Filename: exhibit991-jessicakowalski.htm · Sequence: 2
Document
Wiley Names Jessica Kowalski Executive Vice President and General Manager, Research
Kowalski brings rare combination of publishing depth and AI expertise to accelerate Wiley's next chapter
HOBOKEN, N.J., May 6, 2026—Wiley (NYSE: WLY), a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence, today announced the appointment of Jessica Kowalski as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Research, effective May 11, 2026. She succeeds Jay Flynn, who shaped Wiley’s Research business during his tenure and is leaving the company. Kowalski joins Wiley from Microsoft, bringing more than two decades of experience leading knowledge, data, research publishing, and AI-enabled businesses at global scale, including senior operating roles at Amazon Web Services and RELX.
Over the past two years, Wiley has moved aggressively to execute on its ever-expanding AI and data analytics opportunity, partnering with some of the world's largest technology companies and building strategic relationships with leading AI innovators and corporate model builders to put Wiley's authoritative content at the center of responsible AI development. Kowalski's appointment advances the next phase of that strategy: translating Wiley's AI and content leadership into the products and business models that will define the future of research publishing and expand efforts to deliver content and insights to both current and new customers. The appointment follows Wiley's recent naming of Armughan Rafat as Chief AI and Data Services Officer and reflects the company's broader effort to build a leadership team equipped to lead the industry’s AI evolution.
“Jessica's career has taken her from the heart of research publishing to the leading edge of AI transformation,” said Matthew Kissner, Wiley President and CEO. “That combination is rare, and it's exactly what this pivotal moment requires. She's results-driven, forward-thinking, and leads with innovation, creativity, and a partnership mindset. Following a very thorough search, we are confident Jessica is the right leader for the exciting opportunities ahead of us. As we enter our next phase of growth — scaling AI-enabled research publishing and deepening our partnerships across the global knowledge ecosystem — Jessica's vision and operational rigor will be instrumental in accelerating Wiley’s momentum.”
At Microsoft, Kowalski held full P&L accountability for a large-scale global services business, leading a group of AI, data, and cloud transformation experts building the future for customers in financial services, software, consulting, media, and other industries. Prior to that, at Amazon Web Services, she focused on data and analytics partnerships with regulated information businesses. Her publishing roots run deep: Kowalski spent eleven years at RELX in senior positions at Elsevier and LexisNexis, where she played a central role in transforming the business from a content-centric publisher to an information analytics company. Kowalski holds a Master of Arts from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from The George Washington University.
“To me, science is the highest expression of human ingenuity, and Wiley’s work at the intersection of technology and published research is what transforms discovery into impact,” said Kowalski.“This feels like exactly where I’m meant to be. Every step in my career has led me here, and I’m honored to join the team at Wiley, who are building something that truly matters.”
Jay Flynn, who joined Wiley in 2010 and assumed leadership of the Research business in 2021, was instrumental in defining and executing the company's open access strategy. Under his leadership, Wiley also built and expanded its partnerships with scientific and scholarly societies and research institutions, grew its journal and product portfolio, and advanced its publishing technology.
About Wiley
Wiley (NYSE: WLY) is a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation, and learning. With more than 200 years at the center of the scholarly ecosystem, Wiley combines trusted publishing heritage with AI-powered platforms to transform how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and applied. From individual researchers and students to Fortune 500 R&D teams, Wiley enables the transformation of scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. From knowledge to impact—Wiley is redefining what's possible in science and learning. Visit us at Wiley.com and Investors.Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Contacts:
Andrea Sherman
Media
203.536.7564
asherman@wiley.com
Brian Campbell
Investor Relations
201.748.6874
brian.campbell@wiley.com
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