Penguin Random House has promoted several top executives into a variety of strategic and editorial roles.
At Crown, David Drake has been named president, and will be responsible for the direction of the imprint. He will work with Aaron Wehner, executive v-p at Crown and publisher of Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press, in developing the Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed imprints. Drake is also tasked with serving a leadership role on various high profile projects across the group, Gina Centrello, president and publisher of Random House, wrote in a press release.
Reporting to Drake is Gillian Blake, who has been promoted to publisher of Crown. Blake will continue to lead the Crown editorial team while "taking on increased responsibility for defining and managing the publishing programs of both Crown and our specialty nonfiction imprint, Currency," Drake wrote in a note to staff. Annsley Rosner, senior v-p and deputy publisher, will also report to Drake
Scott Shannon, executive v-p and publisher of Del Rey, has been given the additional title of director of strategy. In this newly-created role, he "will focus on identifying opportunities for immediate and long-term frontlist and backlist growth across all publishing platforms and formats," Centrello wrote, praising Shannon as the company's "resident 'futurist.'"
Reporting to Shannon are Matt Schwartz, senior v-p and director of digital strategy; Keith Clayton, who has been promoted to v-p and publishing director of licensed publishing; Tricia Narwani, who has been promoted to the position of editor-in-chief of Del Rey; Hannah Rahill, senior v-p and director of backlist strategy and development; and Patsy Tucker, senior v-p of analytics.
Kara Welsh has been promoted to president of the newly renamed Ballantine Books, which encompasses the Ballantine, Bantam, Dell, and Delacorte imprints. In this role, she will be responsible for strategy for the group with, among other goals, the aim of repositioning the Bantam and Dell imprints and further developing the fiction in those lists.
Reporting to Welsh are Jennifer Hershey, who has been promoted to publisher of Ballantine, as well as Kim Hovey, senior v-p and deputy publisher.
In addition, Chris Jackson has been promoted to executive v-p and publisher of One World and RocLit 101, a new imprint that is launching in collaboration with musician Jay-Z's RocNation. And at Little Random, Avideh Bashirrad has been promoted to senior v-p and deputy publisher.
This article has been updated with further information and for clarity.
