HarperCollins Christian Publishing Hires New SVP Bible Marketing and Outreach
Media Contact:
Casey Harrell, Director, Corporate Communications
tel: 615.902.1109
web: casey.harrell@harpercollins. com
(Nashville, TN) October 15, 2014— In a strategic decision to continue the focus on its Bible business, HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) announced today that Doug Lockhart will join the company as senior vice president of Bible marketing and outreach.
Lockhart joins HCCP from Biblica, a longtime publishing partner of the company’s Zondervan publishing group. Biblica is the copyright holder and worldwide publisher of the New International Version (NIV) Bible translation, and has licensed its North American publishing rights to Zondervan for more than 40 years. Lockhart served as the CEO for the company, first in North America and then global, for a combined five years. Before Biblica, Lockhart’s senior leadership experience in the publishing industry included roles at The McGraw-Hill Companies and Zondervan.
“Doug has a rich history with our Bible products, going back to his tenure with Zondervan, where he served in various senior leadership roles,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “His innovative thinking throughout his time at Zondervan and Biblica, has helped HCCP better understand Bible readers today. In addition, he has the ability to identify and develop strategic marketing partnerships which will add a significant amount of confidence to our Bible team and their ability to help fulfill our mission.”
As SVP of Bible marketing and outreach, Lockhart will be responsible for strategic vision, market analysis, product positioning, and managing marketing oversight for Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Bible products. He will oversee brand management and develop further strategies that enhance the NIV, KJV, NKJV, and The Voice Bible translations. This position requires cross-collaboration between many different publishing teams across HCCP and will be responsible for driving initiatives that support the company’s overall growth strategy.
Lockhart will report directly to the SVP of Bible resources, John Kramp. Because of Lockhart’s executive experience, he will be part of the HCCP executive leadership team which is responsible for understanding and providing guidance for the overall health of the company.
Lockhart commented, “Joining HCCP in this capacity feels like a natural migration for my career. Though they are my new colleagues, I have worked closely with many people at HCCP for some time. My meetings with John Kramp and other leaders within the organization have been forward-thinking and I am excited to continue spreading God’s Word throughout the world.”
Starting December 1st, Lockhart will be based at the company’s Grand Rapids, MI location, but will also oversee marketing personnel in Nashville, TN.
About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups in addition to Olive Tree Bible Software. The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space. Also home to BibleGateway.com, the world’s largest Christian website, and FaithGateway.com, an online community dedicated to helping people grow in their faith. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. For more information visitwww.HarperCollinsChristian.com .