Pearson plc

Not to be confused with C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.

Pearson plc
FormerlyS. Pearson & Son
Company typePublic
ISINGB0006776081 Edit this on Wikidata
Industry
Founded1844; 180 years ago (1844)
FounderSamuel Pearson
HeadquartersShell Mex House, London, England
Key people
ProductsEducational materials (books, tests), Television distribution
Services
  • Educational assessment
  • school management
  • higher education
RevenueDecrease £3,674 million (2023)[1]
Increase £498 million (2023)[1]
Increase £380 million (2023)[1]
Total assetsDecrease £6,727 million (2023)[1]
Total equityDecrease £3,988 million (2023)[1]
Number of employees
17,612 (2023)[1]
Subsidiaries
Websiteplc.pearson.com

Pearson plc is a multinational corporation, headquartered in the UK, focused on educational publishing and services.

Originating in 1844 and named S Pearson and Son by Samuel Pearson in 1856, what began as a small local civil engineering business in Yorkshire grew between 1880 and 1927 into a massive diversified international conglomerate under the subsequent leadership of Samuel's grandson Weetman Pearson.[2] By the time of World War II, the company had major national and international subsidiaries in manufacturing, electricity, oil, coal, banking and financial services, publishing (periodicals and books), and aviation.

After the Second World War and the British government's nationalisation of many industries, Pearson refocused on publishing and media. In 1984 the company changed its name from S. Pearson & Son plc to Pearson plc.[3][4] Under the leadership of CEO Marjorie Scardino, in 1998 the company formed Pearson Education, and by 2016 education was Pearson plc's exclusive focus. As of 2023 Pearson Education, known since 2011 as simply Pearson, is Pearson plc's main subsidiary.[5] Pearson owns one of the GCSE examining boards for the UK, Edexcel.[6]

Pearson plc has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American depositary receipts.

  1. ^ a b c d e f "2023 Annual Report" (PDF). Pearson plc. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  2. ^ "S Pearson & Son Ltd". Science Museum Group. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  3. ^ "PEARSON PLC". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  4. ^ "MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION" (PDF). plc.pearson.com. PEARSON plc. October 2009. p. 1. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pearson PLC AR2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Edexcel GCSEs | Pearson qualifications". qualifications.pearson.com.