In a major realignment of executive personnel and publishing operations, Random House Inc. announced that Chip Gibson, president of Crown Publishing Group, will take over as president and publisher of Random House Children's Books from Craig Virden, who is stepping down from the position after four years. Jenny Frost has been chosen to succeed Gibson as president and publisher of Crown. She will retain her current position as president and publisher of the Random House Audio and Diversified Group.
In an accompanying move, Random House also announced plans to integrate the Random House Information Group, which includes such nonfiction imprints as Fodor's Travel, Princeton Review and Random House Reference, into the Crown Publishing Group.
Random chairman Peter Olson called the integration of the Information Group into Crown an effort to form "a unified powerhouse of branded nonfiction imprints... unrivalled in diversity and marketplace appeal." He emphasized that under the new expanded Crown, Crown's current trade publishing imprints and the RH Information Group "will maintain separate editorial identities" and "will retain their current configurations."
He described Frost's tenure at RH Audio as "consistently profitable." She founded Bantam Audio in 1985 and is credited with orchestrating a "financial turnaround" at Random House Value Publishing in the Diversified Group. Bonnie Ammer, president of Random House Information Group, will continue in that role and report to Frost. And Peter Muller, formerly v-p, deputy publisher of Children's Books, has been named senior v-p, publishing operations for Crown, the Audio Group and Diversified Group. Robert Allen, current publisher of the RH adult audio imprint, has been named president of the Random House Audio Group and will report to Frost. He will continue to direct the adult audio imprint. In addition, Rich Romano, senior v-p of business operations at Crown, will also move to children's books in the newly created position of v-p, publishing operations for RH Children's Books, reporting to Gibson.
Olson was unavailable for comment, but Stuart Applebaum, spokesperson for Random House, said the changes will not lead to "layoffs or title cutbacks, or cutbacks in any publishing operation or imprint."
Virden is credited with developing RH Children's Books into a highly successful and profitable operation. Under his direction, the acquisition of Golden Books assets made RH Children's Books the largest publisher of English-language children's books. He joined Dell Publishing in 1988, became publisher of Bantam Doubleday Dell in 1992 and was named president of RH Children's Books in 1998.
Applebaum emphasized to PW that Virden "initiated the departure. He wants to get away from administrative duty and back to publishing and editing." In an e-mail Virden circulated to friends and staff, he said much the same. "I miss working with authors, miss thinking about marketing plans, miss the whole creative part of the business."
The statement released by Olson credited Gibson with bringing "substantial improvement to Crown," which he described as a former "money loser." While Gibson's move to direct children's publishing seems surprising, Olson noted that Gibson's father was an executive at Golden Books for more than 30 years. Gibson told PW he took the job because of the opportunity to "lead the biggest and best children's publisher." He also said he would rely on his staff for editorial judgements. "Beginning next week I'll roll up my sleeves and start learning about the business." Gibson worked as a sales rep and marketing executive before being tabbed to direct Crown in 1996.
