Penguin Random House has launched the Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, which builds on its evangelical Christian publishing program and is comprised of the Waterbrook, Multnomah, Image, and Forum imprints. With a renewed focus on market growth and a commitment to dedicating additional resources, the company said, "this initiative aims to significantly expand readership, strengthen connections with audiences, and deepen its range of books and content offerings for the Christian readership."
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Campbell Wharton |
Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group will be led by Campbell Wharton, who has been named senior v-p, publisher. Wharton has led publications in many categories, including celebrity, music, pop culture, social justice, politics, business, religion, and current affairs, and worked with such authors as Tim Tebow, Daymond John, Michael Todd, Austin Channing Brown, Jennie Allen, John Mark Comer, Leanne Morgan, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Richard Rohr, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
Wharton commented: "As a new standalone division, we are going to be able to invest more deeply in our imprints, expand our content offerings, and ultimately be a place that services a wide range of Christian readers in innovative ways. Building on the incredible roster of authors already home to us, our growth strategy will underscore our commitment to readers and broadening our footprint in the evangelical publishing space."
Manuel Sansigre, CFO of PRH, to whom Wharton will report, said, "This sector holds immense potential, and as we develop innovative strategies for this dynamic and growing marketplace, we are thrilled by the opportunities our renewed commitment to Christian publishing brings. This focus not only enhances our position at Penguin Random House but also empowers authors and enriches the reading experience for countless readers."
Reporting to Wharton will be Laura Barker v-p, publisher, who will continue to lead the WaterBrook & Multnomah editorial team of this new group. Ginia Croker, v-p, director of marketing, and Beverly Rykerd, v-p, director of publicity, and their respective teams will report to Wharton, too.
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Waterbrook & Multnomah publishes books that inspire readers to find rich, spiritual purpose in their daily lives, with practical guidance for applying Christian principles to the complexities of life today.
Image, a leading imprint of Catholic content, and Forum, an imprint of conservative thought leaders, will now be a part of the newly formed Christian Publishing Group. Those editorial teams will report to Barker. The Convergent publishing program, with a mission to publish books that draw on deep experience both in mainstream and Christian publishing with a focus on nourishing readers' inner lives in the categories of spirituality, personal growth, self-help, relationships, social commentary, memoir, and lifestyle, will remain with the Random House Publishing Group. The imprint will join the Harmony and Rodale Books team with Derek Reed, editorial director of Convergent, reporting to Theresa Zoro, president of Harmony and Rodale Books and now Convergent, effective immediately.
Among related changes, Cindy Murray is named v-p, senior director of publicity for Harmony, Rodale Books, and Convergent, and Jessalyn Foggy is promoted to senior director of marketing for Harmony, Rodale Books, and Convergent.
Tina Constable has been named executive v-p, business development, Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, also reporting to Sansigre. In this new position, Constable will draw upon her more than three decades in publishing to collaborate with Sansigre and Wharton on acquisitions, exploration of new consumer channels, and partnership opportunities including streaming curriculum and direct-to-church initiatives.
Lori Addicott, v-p, director of Christian market sales, will also serve as v-p, director of sales, PRH Christian Publishing Group. She and her team will continue to serve as sales representatives for all Penguin Random House Publishing titles in the Christian market and will be an integral part of the company's growth strategy.