Zondervan President and CEO Doug Lockhart is to leave the company at the end of the month-less than two years after taking over the leadership-it was announced yesterday.

Bruce Ryskamp, the long-term company head Lockhart replaced, will return to serve as interim president and CEO, Zondervan's parent company HarperCollins said in a statement.

No reason was given for the sudden change. Erin Crum, HarperCollins' director of corporate communications, said: "We do not comment on personnel matters. What is important is that there is no gap in leadership."

As part of the HarperCollins announcement, Lockhart said that he considered it “a great privilege to have served in this role and to have been part of the tremendous Zondervan family, which is truly the most dedicated, loyal and mission-minded team of people I have ever worked with.”

Lockhart said that he looked forward to a smooth transition, and “will continue to pray for the continued success of the organization as it strives to achieve its mission and continue its leadership in Christian publishing.”

Lockhart joined Zondervan from McGraw-Hill Publishers in 2002 as vice president of marketing for Bibles. He announced his leaving to Zondervan employees at an all-employee meeting at the company's Grand Rapids, Mich., headquarters yesterday.

Since handing over the Zondervan reins to Lockhart, Ryskamp has remained in a consulting role with the company he joined in 1983. He has also served as a special adviser to HarperCollins President and CEO Jane Friedman.

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