The amount of industry speculation surrounding the departure of Don Weisberg as executive v-p and COO North America is usually reserved for exiting publishers and top editors. Although Weisberg oversaw Random House of Canada, he is best known for his stewardship of the Random House sales operation. Except for a brief period in 2002 when David Naggar supervised the sales group, Weisberg has been directly responsible for the division since the Random House—Bantam Doubleday Dell merger in 1998 and had developed a team that was extremely loyal, with many working with him since his BDD days. With his years of experience, for many accounts and competitors, Weisberg was viewed as the heart and soul of the RH sales division.

While RH insists that Weisberg's departure is simply due to his desire to move on, other theories abound, some of which are polar opposites. One scenario says Weisberg's departure was due to criticism that the recent changes in the sales force went too far, while others said he left because he was under pressure to implement even more extensive changes.

There was agreement among RH observers that the appointment of RH deputy chair Ed Volini to oversee the sales division will only be temporary, but RH maintains that no other changes are planned. Asked why someone with no sales background was named to run the sales group, RH spokesperson Stuart Applebaum said: "Overseeing the Random House Sales Group in today's marketplace requires a formidable set of managerial, financial, negotiation and people skills to complement the great customer-centered selling experience and judgment of our senior sales team. Ed brings that know-how."