More changes are in store at Random House, where about two weeks after layoffs in sales and IT, the publisher said it would revamp its Fodor's imprint, leading to "v-p and publisher Alison Gross and associate publisher Ensley Eikenburg leaving the company. David Naggar, who heads the Random Information Group, of which Fodor's is a part, plans to name a new leader for the unit in the near future.
The move marks the second change at the top of Fodor's in as many months. Until October, the imprint had two people with the word "publisher" in their titles; the first, Bonnie Ammer (to whom Gross reported), recently became executive v-p, publisher at large for Random House Worldwide.
Spokesman Stuart Applebaum said the newest move is "part of a very clear-eyed look by David at how he and the company want to proceed." One goal is reportedly to bring closer together the online and print divisions of Fodor's. Applebaum added that the unit has a "vote of confidence" from senior management, despite difficult times for the travel-book market.
In a separate development, Random House's human resources department has also laid off an unspecified number of employees.
