Adrienne Vaughan, a mother-of-two and president of Bloomsbury USA, was tragically killed in a horror speedboat accident on the Amalfi coast in Italy.
The 45-year-old was described as a ‘charismatic true leader’ by her colleagues, and had previously made a name for herself working for the publisher of the Harry Potter books.
Away from her demanding job, Vaughan had reportedly been ‘dreaming’ of her visit to Europe this month with her husband Mike White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11.
But the vacation turned into a nightmare after they hired a Gozzo Sorrentino boat for a day out on the water, driven by a skipper that witnesses later said was ‘vomiting’ and appeared ‘drunk.’
The publishing executive, 45, was described as a ‘charismatic true leader’
Vaughan and her husband Mike White frequently shared images of their picture-perfect family
Ms Vaughan graduated with an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business before her lucrative publishing career
Originally from New York, Vaughan lived in a sleepy New Jersey neighborhood with her family.
Just a day before the tragedy, her husband Mike had shared a Facebook post from their trip to Italy showing the family beaming on their vacation.
They appeared to be the picture-perfect family as they beamed in front of the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum, and just three weeks before they had taken another vacation to London.
On their visit to Italy, Vaughan had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and headed towards Positano, renting the 29ft vessel for a sun-soaked day out off the coast, according to Agenzia Giornalistica Italia.
The allegedly drunk skipper would go on to slam the vessel into the side of a 130-foot ship hosting a wedding party, with shocking footage capturing the moment the music falls silent as guests realize what occurred.
Mike underwent surgery on his left shoulder after the accident, while the children were unharmed but suffered from shock.
The Vaughan’s million-dollar family home, in a sleepy New Jersey neighborhood
The mother-of-two had built a distinguished career in publishing and was set to expand Bloomsbury across America before her tragic death
The family were travelling to the picturesque cliffside town of Positano on the Amalfi coast when the tragic accident happened. The family were in Rome just days ago
Before her lucrative publishing career, Vaughan graduated with an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
She went on to work for the Oxford University Press, and from 2015 to 2018 she worked for the Disney publishing group.
Vaughan joined Bloomsbury as an executive director and COO in 2020, before being named as the US president of the company the next year.
When she was promoted to the prestigious position, Bloomsbury praised her for her ‘strong leadership during a challenging time’.
According to Publishers Weekly, her tenure as president focused on the ‘next chapter’ of the company, including expanding across America ‘with a strong future and significant publishing impact.’
She was described as ‘charismatic true leader’, by a former colleague on LinkedIn, who added: ‘She was my coach and my mentor. I loved working with her every day. It was always ready to help others.’
A witness said the skipper of the speedboat appeared ‘drunk’ after it crashed into the yacht
Shocking images showed the wedding party looking over the ship’s edge after the crash
It is unclear what caused the Vaughan’s speedboat to collide with the 130-ft yacht, which was carrying about 85 visitors from America and Germany who were celebrating a wedding.
Moments before the crash, footage saw the wedding party dancing and enjoying the picturesque scenery.
The music fell silent as the boat slammed into the side of their vessel, sending guests hurrying to the edge as they flung inflatables at the family.
Witness Pietro luzzolino told Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper that the skipper of the speedboat was ‘vomiting’ and ‘gave the impression he was drunk’. The 30-year-old driver also failed toxicology tests after the tragedy, according to Italian outlets Ansa and Italy24.
