In a new series of organizational changes in the Penguin Publishing Group, John Parsley has been promoted to VP and publisher at Dutton, succeeding Christine Ball, who has been promoted to EVP and will continue to serve as publisher of Berkley, a position she has held since 2017. Putnam, Dutton, and Berkley president Ivan Held continues to serve as acting publisher of Putnam following the departure of Sally Kim, who succeeded Ball in the position in 2020, to Little, Brown earlier this year.
“Christine has deftly navigated both Berkley and Dutton through major seasons of change that have led to success for both imprints,” wrote Penguin Publishing Group president Allison Dobson in a letter to staff. Parsley, she added, "has driven tremendous growth in both the fiction and nonfiction programs, expanding into new categories while building a collaborative and passionate editorial team."
Parsley had previously served, for seven years, as editor-in-chief at Dutton and its imprints, Plume and Tiny Reparations Books, editing books by such authors as Scott Ellsworth, Annie Jacobsen, Jonathan Karl, Jason Mott, and Joe Posnanski. Newly reporting to Parsley are Amanda Walker, executive director of publicity at Dutton, and Stephanie Cooper, director of marketing.
In addition, Claire Zion has been promoted to SVP and editor-in-chief at Berkley, reporting to Ball. A 20-year veteran of Berkley and NAL, Zion "has been an exceptional editor with a clear vision for the list and a deep personal understanding of each editor’s tastes, passions, and strengths," and "has led the Berkley editorial team through a period of rapid growth, encouraging camaraderie, risk taking, and editorial excellence," Dobson wrote.
This article has been updated for clarity.
