Directorate Change

Reed Elsevier PLC
14 March 2006




                                  NEWS RELEASE

           Issued on behalf of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV

                                                                   14 March 2006


   Reed Elsevier Announces Appointment of Lisa Hook as Non-Executive Director

Reed Elsevier today announced the appointment of Lisa A. Hook to the Boards of
Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV as a non-executive director, subject to
shareholder approval at the respective Annual General Meetings on 18 and 19
April. She will also be appointed a non-executive director of Reed Elsevier
Group plc.

Ms Hook, aged 48, has over 20 years of management experience in media,
entertainment and information businesses. Until December 2004, she was President
of AOL Broadband, Premium and Developer Services. Prior to joining AOL she was a
partner at Brera Capital, a New York based leveraged buyout fund and at Alpine
Capital, a private equity fund focused on media and telecom investments.
Previously she was a Vice President at Time Warner Inc. where she managed
corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and before that was Executive
Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at Time Warner Telecom. She started her
career at the US law firm of Hogan & Hartson, having graduated at Duke
University and the Dickinson School of Law.

Ms Hook is a director of Covad Communications Inc. and K12 Inc., and is a member
of the Board of Trustees of the National Public Radio Foundation.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Jan Hommen, Chairman of Reed Elsevier, said :
'Lisa Hook has extensive experience in media, entertainment and information
businesses and will bring invaluable insights to our board discussions on Reed
Elsevier's strategic development. We are delighted to welcome her officially at
our AGMs next month.'

There are no further matters to be disclosed under LR 9.6.13R of the Listing
Rules of the UK Listing Authority.

                                    - ENDS -

Notes to Editors

Reed Elsevier Group plc is a world leading publisher and information provider.
It is owned equally by its two parent companies, Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed
Elsevier NV.  The parent companies are listed on the London, Amsterdam and New
York Stock Exchanges, under the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam
: REN; New York: RUK and ENL.  In 2005, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit
before taxation of £1,002 million on turnover of £5,166 million.  The group
employs 36,000 people, including approximately 20,000 in North America.
Operating in the scientific, legal, educational and business-to-business
sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high value and flexible information solutions to
professional end users, with increasing emphasis on internet delivery.

For further information please contact

Patrick Kerr : [phone]



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