(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today that Mark Schoenwald, its current President and Chief Operating Officer, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer.  He assumes the Chief Executive Officer position from Michael Hyatt, who is stepping out of active management of the company but will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.

Hyatt stated, “Thomas Nelson just finished a successful year with several books on the bestseller lists, including Heaven Is for Real, which has been #1 on the NYT list for 13 straight weeks.  Now is the perfect time to turn the reins of the company over to Mark.”  In his new role, Hyatt will serve as an advisor to company leadership and represent the company by positively influencing authors, the media, and consumers while more actively pursuing his outside interests such as speaking and writing.

Hyatt went on to say, “Mark Schoenwald is esteemed by employees, authors, and customers.  He is direct and willing to make the tough decisions, but at the same time humble and committed to our Christian mission.  He has proven time and again that he can succeed in a tough environment.  He is the right CEO to take Nelson into a new era.”

Prior to joining Thomas Nelson in 2005, Schoenwald served as President of several prestigious home décor, garden and gift companies including New Creative Enterprises, One Coast Network, and Kennedy Group.  Earlier in his career, he served in multiple roles with Lenox Brands.

“Thomas Nelson is focused on growth,” stated Schoenwald, “and we strive to be the leading producer of Christian content and inspirational live events.  We will continue to transform the company as we leverage the strengths of our traditional print business while implementing new digital publishing strategies.  Through focus on innovation and execution, we will develop our content in any format and delivery method our customers desire.  The company will embrace change, and we will move quickly to scale new ideas and opportunities that will be available in this rapidly changing business environment.”

Schoenwald also said, “As Thomas Nelson enters its 214^th year of business, we have never been more excited about our future.  We must maximize our growth opportunities in markets around the world, many of which already contribute to our results.”

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today the promotion of Bryan Norman to the position of Associate Publisher, Nonfiction Trade Group. In his new role, Norman will be responsible for day-to-day operations and strategic list building for one of Thomas Nelson’s two nonfiction book divisions, as well as continuing to edit key projects and acquiring new authors.

Norman began his career at Thomas Nelson more than 6 years ago, working as an associate editor at Cool Springs Press. During his time at Nelson he has worked closely with some of the company’s major authors, including Donald Miller, Sheila Walsh, John MacArthur, and Marcus Buckingham. He has most recently been serving as Associate Acquisitions Editor. READ MORE »

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today that they have made several changes to their Children’s and Gift Product team, including adding two new industry veterans and promoting a standout talent. The company believes that these moves will position the department for success as it continues to grow and expand into digital frontiers.

Jennifer Deshler will be moving from her current role as Thomas Nelson’s Senior Director of Marketing of the Fiction group to serve as Vice President of Marketing and Publishing Process for the Children’s and Gift Product. In this new role, Deshler will be responsible for leading marketing efforts for Children’s and Gift products, streamlining processes from idea to market and making sure promotional efforts yield great results. READ MORE »

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today the promotion of Russ Schwartz to the position of Director, Christian Independent Retail Sales. Schwartz will oversee Thomas Nelson’s field and phones sales, Christian retail distributors, and marketing groups. He is replacing Tom Knight who has moved into the role of Senior Vide President of Christian Retail and Ministry Sales.

In his distinguished career, Schwartz has worked in every facet of the Christian retail industry. For the last five years, he has served in Thomas Nelson’s Christian Retail Sales division as a Field Sales Consultant, Regional Sales Manager, Training Manager, Key Account Manager, and most recently as Director of Inside Sales. READ MORE »

(Nashville, Tenn.) Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today the promotion of Gary Davidson to the position of Senior Vice President and Group Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible Group. Davidson brings over twenty years of experience working with Christian products. He has worked for Thomas Nelson for thirteen years, leading Thomas Nelson’s Christian Retail Sales team for the last eight, and the Ministry Development and Church Direct team for the last two.

“I am confident that Gary is the right person to lead our Bible team,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and chief operating officer of Thomas Nelson. “Gary has a distinguished track record of building strong business units by casting vision, building cohesive teams, executing plans, and anticipating the needs of our customers.” READ MORE »