Chris North, who just one year ago took over as COO of HarperCollins Canada, is moving to the U.K. to become managing director of the international art publisher Phaidon. A Phaidon spokesperson said that North essentially will be running the day-to-day operations, while Andrew Price, who held the position previously, will assume the title of company chairman and will concentrate on strategic matters.

North is a HarperCollins veteran who first ran that company's electronic program before the Canada assignment. Reports had occasionally surfaced that he was being groomed for a Harper U.S. leadership position. Harper had no word at press time on a replacement.