NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced today that Mark Schoenwald, its current President and Chief Operating Officer, has been named President and Chief Executive Officer.  He assumes the Chief Executive Officer position from Michael Hyatt, who is stepping out of active management of the company but will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.

Hyatt stated, "Thomas Nelson just finished a successful year with several books on the bestseller lists, including Heaven Is for Real, which has been #1 on the NYT list for 13 straight weeks.  Now is the perfect time to turn the reins of the company over to Mark."  In his new role, Hyatt will serve as an advisor to company leadership and represent the company by positively influencing authors, the media, and consumers while more actively pursuing his outside interests such as speaking and writing.

Hyatt went on to say, "Mark Schoenwald is esteemed by employees, authors, and customers.  He is direct and willing to make the tough decisions, but at the same time humble and committed to our Christian mission.  He has proven time and again that he can succeed in a tough environment.  He is the right CEO to take Nelson into a new era."

Prior to joining Thomas Nelson in 2005, Schoenwald served as President of several prestigious home decor, garden and gift companies including New Creative Enterprises, One Coast Network, and Kennedy Group.  Earlier in his career, he served in multiple roles with Lenox Brands.

"Thomas Nelson is focused on growth," stated Schoenwald, "and we strive to be the leading producer of Christian content and inspirational live events.  We will continue to transform the company as we leverage the strengths of our traditional print business while implementing new digital publishing strategies.  Through focus on innovation and execution, we will develop our content in any format and delivery method our customers desire.  The company will embrace change, and we will move quickly to scale new ideas and opportunities that will be available in this rapidly changing business environment."

Schoenwald also said, "As Thomas Nelson enters its 214th year of business, we have never been more excited about our future.  We must maximize our growth opportunities in markets around the world, many of which already contribute to our results."

About Thomas Nelson

Thomas Nelson is the largest Christian publisher in the world and the seventh largest trade book publisher in the U.S.  It publishes a variety of products, including Bibles, books, and multimedia products.  It is also the largest provider of Christian-themed conferences, including Women of Faith and Revolve.

www.thomasnelson.com

SOURCE Thomas Nelson, Inc.