Appointment

Reed International PLC
7 December 2001



News Release


07 December 2001


Issued on behalf of Reed International P.L.C. and Elsevier NV



Reed Elsevier Appoints Lord Sharman as a Non-Executive Director


Reed Elsevier announced today the appointment of Lord Sharman as a
non-executive director to the company. Lord Sharman will join the Board on 1st
January 2002.  It is proposed that he will assume chairmanship of the Audit
Committee when David Webster, its current chairman, retires from the Board at
the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in April 2002.

Lord Sharman will also join the Board of Reed International P.L.C. on the same
date and will be proposed for election to the Elsevier NV Board at its Annual
General Meeting in 2002.

Lord Sharman is a chartered accountant, having spent 33 years at KPMG, the
accounting and professional services firm, before his retirement in 1999.  He
was Chairman of KPMG Worldwide from 1997 to 1999 having been elected UK Senior
Partner in 1994.  Lord Sharman spent 11 years of his career with KPMG in
Europe, the latter five as head of the company's business in The Netherlands.

He is currently the non-executive chairman of Aegis plc and a non-executive
director of BG plc, AEA Technologies plc and Youngs Brewery plc.

Commenting on the appointment, Morris Tabaksblat, Chairman, of Reed Elsevier
plc, said: 'Colin Sharman brings a broad experience in financial and business
matters to his role as a director and is well suited to  be chairman of the
Audit Committee.  We are delighted to welcome him to the Board.'

There are no further matters to be disclosed in accordance with paragraph 16.4
of the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority.

                                    -ends-


For further information please contact:
Catherine May, Reed Elsevier, tel [phone]


Notes to editors


Reed Elsevier plc


Reed Elsevier plc is a world leading publisher and information provider.  It
is owned equally by its two parent companies, Reed International P.L.C and
Elsevier NV.  The parent companies are listed on the London, Amsterdam and New
York Stock Exchanges, under the following ticker symbols: London: REED;
Amsterdam: ELSN; New York: RUK, ENL.

In 2000, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £690 million
($1,042million) on turnover of £3,768 million ($5,690 million).  The group
employs 38,000 people, including nearly 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.

Further information on Reed Elsevier can be found on the company's website at
www.reedelsevier.com