B & H ANNOUNCES NEW PUBLISHING STRATEGY

Selma Wilson, president of B&H Publishing Group, addressed B&H team members during a Jan. 28 divisional meeting and delivered an assessment of her first 90 days in her role.

Wilson’s remarks included a strategy and leadership change to enhance the organization’s effectiveness and reach built around “a resolve toward missional engagement and ministry and business commitment.”

John Thompson, B&H’s vice president of marketing for more than a decade, will assume the role of vice president of acquisitions. In addition to his 20-plus years publishing experience, Thompson “brings his ministry and marketing partnership strengths to the acquisitions role, as well as his agent/contract capabilities,” Wilson said.

Mary Katharine Hunt, formerly director of LifeWay Kids in LifeWay’s church resources division, will fill Thompson’s former position as vice president of marketing. Hunt has more than 15 years of marketing experience and brand management. According to Wilson, Hunt’s “strengths in new media and digital marketing knowledge and experience as a product development team leader will be a tremendous asset to B&H.”

Hunt said the work B&H has already done in digital publishing and marketing “will be a building block for the future.” In addition to the recently launched MyStudyBible.com platform, B&H also has a variety of individually branded applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPad, with several more in development. Six of the apps have been ranked among the top 150 paid apps in the books category.

Wilson also announced the decision to discontinue the Fidelis imprint. Thompson explained “B&H launched Fidelis Books two years ago to produce quality books for patriotic consumers. We successfully published titles by individuals who shape national opinion. Despite that success, we feel the need to offer greater focus on our base as a distinctively Christian publisher.”