Dan Shanahan

PLOS

Dan is a passionate and experienced leader in open science, bringing over 15 years’ expertise in scholarly publishing, and has worked extensively in varied publishing environments, including non-profits, society and commercial organisations. In his current role as Publishing Director at Public Library of Science (PLOS), Dan has developed and executed market-focused portfolio strategies that have advanced PLOS’s mission and vision, driving sustained revenue, content and influence growth, which is experience he aims to leverage to support and advance ALPSP’s goals.

 

Dan’s leadership roles in publishing, editorial and product management, give him a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing membership organisations and non-profits. He has a strong track record in developing publishing programmes aligned to community needs and has been an active contributor to ALPSP, supporting its mission through engagement in events, training and knowledge-sharing initiatives. He is also the tutor for the ALPSP course “Growing Your OA Portfolio,” where he works directly with publishers to develop practical, sustainable approaches to open access growth.

 

Dan brings strong expertise in strategic leadership, management, policy development, and business model innovation. He has a proven track record of driving behavioural change within global research communities to foster adoption and achieve market-leading positions. His experience leading cross-functional initiatives and collaborating with stakeholders at local, regional, and international levels, including in Europe, North America and Asia, has earned him a reputation for turning vision into meaningful impact.

Committed to promoting best practices in open science and scholarly communication, Dan's objectives naturally align with ALPSP's mission to help its members adopt sustainable publishing models while upholding quality, transparency, and the advancement of scholarly communication.

Dan is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion within the industry and is outspoken in his support for neurodiversity in publishing. Through his work with Publishing Enabled, and representing his own experiences and insights, Dan has led numerous discussions around how organisations can empower and support neurodivergent employees. His commitment to promoting best practices in open science and fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment makes him a perfect fit for ALPSP’s mission.