Dr. Niels Peter Thomas, Managing Director Books, is responsible for Springer Nature's book portfolio, which includes more than 300,000 academic books across all subject areas and 13,000 new books per year. He is responsible for more than 500 publishing colleagues worldwide and coordinates the book business across Springer Nature's renowned book imprints such as Springer, Palgrave Macmillan, J.B. Metzler and others. His main tasks include the further development of printed and electronic books, innovative technical features, new business models and workflows. He is responsible for defining Springer Nature's global strategy to shape the future of book publishing and reading. Niels joined Springer in 2005 and has worked in various editorial and management positions in Heidelberg and Wiesbaden, Germany, as well as in Beijing and Shanghai, China. Since working in Springer’s Beijing office from 2011-2013, he is closely connected with the Chinese publishing community. In December 2021, Niels received the Special Book Award of China from the State Press and Publication Administration of the PR China, in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the academic and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. Niels holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in economics.