In the latest realignment at Random House's Crown Publishing Group, David Drake has been promoted to senior v-p and deputy publisher and, among other changes, Michael Palgon, current executive v-p and deputy publisher, is leaving. Drake will assume his new post when Palgon departs, in March.
Crown has gone through a number of structural revisions since Maya Mavjee took over in December 2010. In the latest move, in addition to the aforementioned promotion of Drake, who has been senior v-p and executive director of publicity, Jill Flaxman has been promoted, and Carisa Hays is being brought on to head the publicity team . Flaxman has been bumped up from v-p and marketing director to the newly created role of senior v-p and director of publishing operations (reporting to Mavjee), while Hays, who is arriving from Simon & Schuster, has been named v-p and executive director of publicity.
Palgon, who was with RH for over 20 years, started at the company in 1988 as business manager for Doubleday. Although largely overseeing financial and operational issues, Palgon, RH said, played an integral role in the publications of bestsellers like Tuesdays With Morrie and The Da Vinci Code, but is best known for building up RH's religion operations. With his departure, Steven Cobb will report to Mavjee.
Hays, who was v-p and publicity director at Free Press, and will start at Crown on Feburary 19, will take over many of Drake's current during, succeeding him in the role of "divisional spokesperson," as RH put it.
Also with these changes, Donna Passannante has been promoted to fill Flaxman's old role, taking the title of v-p and executive direcotr of marketing. A replacement for Passannante, who was marketing director at Potter, is now being sought.
