Mark Schoenwald has been appointed president and CEO of HarperCollins’ new division, comprised of Zondervan and the newly acquired Thomas Nelson. Scott Macdonald will leave his position as president and CEO of Zondervan and will serve in an advisory role.

Formerly president and CEO of Thomas Nelson, Schoenwald will report to Brian Murray, president and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, and will serve on the HarperCollins executive committee.

“Mark is an experienced leader in the Christian publishing market, and we are thrilled to have him at the helm of our newly expanded Christian division,” Murray said. “The new division adds further scale and balance to HarperCollins’ overall portfolio, and Mark will work closely with the leadership teams of HarperCollins, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan to build on the individual strengths of each company.”

“I am grateful to Scott for his leadership and professionalism during his tenure with Zondervan,” Murray said. “He has achieved everything I asked him to achieve at Zondervan during a most challenging time in the company’s history.”

Under Schoenwald’s leadership at Nelson, the company saw both double-digit revenue and operating income growth, and has had several times place as New York Times best-sellers, including Heaven Is for Real and Jesus Calling.

Schoenwald said he feels “blessed to have the opportunity to lead” HarperCollins’ Christian publishing division. “I am fortunate to move into this role with the benefit of a strong foundation to build on, coupled with many talented people on both teams. I anticipate a smooth transition as we begin to work together, optimizing all strengths to create an even more successful publishing program for these two distinct brand which, combined, have 300 years of publishing experience and history.”

Schoenwald will continue to be based in Nashville, and will spend part of his time in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Zondervan will continue its operations. Zondervan and Nelson each will continue to publish its respective brands and maintain its own editorial focus, “competing as they have in the past, but collaborating where appropriate,” a company statement said.