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The CEO of Macmillan — one of the Big Five book publishing houses — has announced he'll step back from day-to-day responsibilities, following an industry-wide day of action protest against racism organized by five Macmillan employees.

, John Sargent said: "It is clear that we have to change who occupies the seats at the table when the important decisions are being made."

Macmillan did not comment directly on the 

, during which publishing industry employees stopped work to spend the day protesting and fundraising for the black community. But the company said the change had been in the works for a long time.

Sargent remains in charge of the publisher's global businesses, but U.S. publishing — which includes imprints like Tor, Henry Holt, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux — will now be handled by a 13-person committee, which Sargent's statement says will be "a different and more inclusive management team, representing a wider range of experiences." In his letter, Sargent added that the company is "making sure we have diverse perspectives in the decision-making process."

Macmillan president Don Weisberg and COO Andrew Weber 

 a series of internal promotions aimed at improving the process.

Macmillan was rocked earlier this year by 

controversy over the release of “American Dirt

,” a novel about Mexican migrants written by a white author.  

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John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan — one of the Big Five book publishing houses — has stepped back from day-to-day operations, after five employees organized an industry-wide protest against racism.

Macmillan CEO steps back from day-to-day operations

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