Contact:
Tara Powers, Brian Burch
(616) 233-0500
tpowers@lambert-edwards.com
bburch@lambert-edwards.com
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 28, 2008 – Zondervan, a world leader in Christian communications, today announced it has hired marketing veteran Steve Sammons as senior vice president of consumer engagement. This is a newly created position to lead the company's recently formed consumer engagement group within the marketing department.
In this new role, Sammons' responsibilities will include executive leadership of all creative work that directly influences consumers, from book covers to websites. He will also be responsible for events, market research, Internet marketing, and creative communications.
Sammons brings more than 20 years of experience in worldwide marketing, creative development, product design and management, and operations experience to this new position. He joins Zondervan from Calumet Photographic Inc., the world's largest specialty retailer of professional photographic, digital imaging, and video equipment. At Calumet, Sammons served as chief marketing officer and senior vice president of global marketing, responsible for all global marketing, brand positioning, and marketing expansion.
Prior to Calumet, the majority of Sammons’ career was spent at Nissan North America where he managed the company's Infiniti luxury brand. During his decade of service at Nissan, Sammons directed planning and implementation of all Infiniti marketing communications and oversaw coordination of the brand's marketing partners and media strategy group. Prior to joining Nissan, Sammons spent seven years at The Aerospace Corporation where he served as director of publications and media services.
"This new position is critical to our ability to connect with readers and engage with them at a level we haven’t in the past, and I am confident Steve is the best person for this role," says Moe Girkins, president and CEO of Zondervan. "His range of both analytical and creative marketing skills at other global organizations will be an invaluable asset to our organization. I'm excited to see how Steve's insight with worldwide marketing, creative development, and product design will challenge our thinking in terms of how we relate with our readers."
Sammons holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., and an MBA in Marketing from the UCLA Anderson School of Business. He also attended Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Ore. He will begin his responsibilities as senior vice president of consumer engagement May 25, 2008.
Zondervan, a
HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and the leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with offices in San Diego and Miami, Zondervan conducts events and publishes its bestselling
Bibles,
books,
audio,
video,
curriculum,
software, and
digital products through its
Zondervan,
eZondervan,
Zonderkidz,
Youth Specialties,
Editorial Vida, and
National Pastors Convention brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by
Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at
www.zondervan.com (mobile site:
zvan.mobi).
