Makinson took over at Penguin earlier this year having previously been finance director at Pearson. He is a former Financial Times and Reuters journalist.
His name is one of a number linked to the top job at Emap. Others include internal candidates Gary Hughes, the Emap finance director; and Tom Maloney, the Emap chief operating officer. Former Carlton chief executive Gerry Murphy, who was recently mooted as the favourite for the Kingfisher chief executive's post, had also been linked to the role.
Emap began its search for a new chief executive to take over from Robin Miller, who has been doing the job on an interim basis since Kevin Hand was forced out early last year in January.
Miller, who is a former Emap chairman, is due to step down in July 2003. Miller has disputed claims that he is just filling in until someone can be found, but he is widely seen to have been thrust into the role to steady investor nerves following Hand's exit after Emap's heavy losses when it sold its ill-fated American business.
Hand was widely blamed for paying too much when he signed a deal to buy US magazine group Petersen for £720m. It was sold for £365m to Primedia leaving Emap with a heavy loss.
Hand is now heading up Emap rival Hachette, which has control of Elle and Red in the UK, as well as the former Attic Futura magazines Sugar and TV Hits it acquired in a £40m deal earlier this year.
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