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Gail Rebuck

b. 1952

Chair, Penguin Random House UK

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About Gail Rebuck

Born 1952. Gail Rebuck is a British publisher.

Gail Ruth Rebuck, Baroness Rebuck, Lady Gould of Brookwood (born 10 February 1952) is a British publisher and chair of Penguin Random House UK. She has served as a Labour member of the House of Lords since 2014.

Early life and education Rebuck's Latvian-born Jewish grandfather, and her own father, were both in the London rag trade. Her mother was a Dutch Jew.

At the age of four she was sent to the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, London, where she learned to read and write in French before she did in English. She graduated with a degree in intellectual history from Sussex University in 1974.

Career Rebuck worked for several independent publishers and ran a paperback imprint for Hamlyn, before putting her own funds into a new imprint, Century. After a merger with Hutchinson in 1985, Century Hutchinson was taken over by Random House UK in 1989. Rebuck was appointed chair and chief executive of Random House UK in 1991. and ninth in a 2011 Guardian version of the list. In February 2013, she was assessed the tenth most powerful woman in the UK by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She was recognised as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013.

In February 2015, Rebuck succeeded Sir Neil Cossons as pro-provost and chair of council (the governing body) at the Royal College of Art (RCA), having joined the RCA council in 1999.

Personal life She was married to Philip Gould, until his death in November 2011. They had two daughters: Georgia Gould, who serves as the MP for Queen's Park and Maida Vale, and Grace Gould.

Honours Rebuck was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours, and promoted to Dame Commander of the same Order (DBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.

In 2014, it was announced that Rebuck was to become a Labour peer in the House of Lords, following in the footsteps of her late husband. She was created a life peer on 18 September 2014, taking the title Baroness Rebuck, of Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Sussex, Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle, Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle, Sussex University
Positions held
Member of the House of Lords
Awards
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire; BBC 100 Women; Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year; Honorary doctorate
Also known as
Gail Ruth Rebuck, Baroness Rebuck, Dame Gail Rebuck, of Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden

Family & relationships

Spouse
Philip Gould, Baron Gould of Brookwood
Child
Georgia Gould (politician)

People in Gail Rebuck's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gail Rebuck's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gail Rebuck?

Chair, Penguin Random House UK

When was Gail Rebuck born?

Gail Rebuck was born on 10 February 1952 in London.

What is Gail Rebuck's occupation?

Gail Rebuck is a publisher.

What nationality is Gail Rebuck?

Gail Rebuck is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gail Rebuck

· Wikidata: Q5517148

· DBpedia: Gail Rebuck

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gail Rebuck. https://biography.guide/gail-rebuck/

MLA: "Gail Rebuck." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gail-rebuck/.

Chicago: "Gail Rebuck." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gail-rebuck/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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