Sage expands its portfolio by acquiring Cambridge Business Publishers

Acquisition accelerates Sage’s expansion in higher education accounting and finance courses

Sage continues to build its portfolio in business and management by acquiring Cambridge Business Publishers, a US-based provider of college textbooks and technology focused on accounting and finance courses. 

“Cambridge Business Publishers’ respected authors and high-quality educational resources extend the scope and impact of Sage’s existing business offerings,” said Reid Hester, vice president of Sage’s US College division. “We are delighted to make this long-term investment to build on the success of Cambridge Business Publishers in supporting learning outcomes for business students.”

Founded by George Werthman in 2004, Cambridge Business Publishers is known for outcome-focused learning materials that have become staples in leading MBA and undergraduate programs across the United States and Canada. Its resources are developed in alignment with professional benchmarks set by various associations, reflect ever-changing accounting standards, and support students studying to become certified public accountants, certified management accountants, chartered financial analysts, and more.

“In looking for an organization that would greatly expand on Cambridge Business Publishers’ successes, we found that Sage’s guaranteed independence and global reach would assure continuity of our core achievements and accelerate our growth," said Werthman. “Contemplating the needs of our major stakeholders—our employees, authors, instructors, students, and the organization as a whole—Sage emerged as the publisher best positioned to meet our collective aspirations.”

In addition to Cambridge Business Publishers’ catalog of more than 30 textbooks, its online learning and assessment platform, myBusinessCourse, helps students learn accounting through instructional videos, detailed worked-out examples, and other learning aids. The platform offers auto-graded homework and quizzes, providing instant feedback and a personalized learning experience. It can integrate with leading learning management systems and can be used separately or linked to textbook content.

Cambridge Business Publishers will benefit from Sage's extensive distribution network, increasing the reach and impact of its resources. “I am proud of what we have built and excited for our future,” said Werthman.

Sage publishes journals, textbooks, and digital resources, including case studies and skills support on various business topics, such as ethics, human resource management, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Leadership: Theory and Practice, a Sage textbook by Peter Northouse, is the best-selling academic textbook on leadership in the world.

In 2023, Sage acquired Chicago Business Press, a textbook publisher focused on mid-to upper-level business, management, marketing, and sales courses; and Hubro Education, a developer of business simulations for academic institutions, corporations, and individual skill development.

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About Sage

Sage is a global academic publisher of books, journals, and library resources with a growing range of technologies to enable discovery, access, and engagement. Believing that research and education are critical in shaping society, 24-year-old Sara Miller McCune founded Sage in 1965. Today, we are controlled by a group of trustees charged with maintaining our independence and mission indefinitely. 

Our guaranteed independence means we’re free to:

  • Do more – supporting an equitable academic future, furthering disciplines that drive social change, and helping social and behavioral science make an impact

  • Work together – building lasting relationships, championing diverse perspectives, and co-creating resources to transform teaching and learning

  • Think long-term – experimenting, taking risks, and investing in new ideas