Zondervan has announced the appointment of publishing newcomer Maureen "Moe" Girkins as president and CEO, effective Jan. 2.

Girkins, whose experience is in the corporate world, will be responsible for overseeing and directing Zondervan's growth strategy in addition to managing day-to-day operations, company officials said.

She will take over for interim CEO Bruce Ryskamp, who has held the position since May after Doug Lockhart left the company.

Jane Friedman, president and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, the parent company of Zondervan, said Girkins "brings years of experience and business acumen to the position. Her success rate is impressive as is her strong faith. She will be a wonderful leader."

Bruce Ryskamp, interim CEO of Zondervan, added that Girkins "has achieved great success leading high performance teams in competitive, complex and changing markets. This experience combined with her passion for the mission of Zondervan will elevate the company to new levels."

Girkins, who will report to Friedman, spent 25 years in the high-tech industry, holding senior executive positions with Wireless, Dell and Motorola. She also held numerous positions at AT&T and Bell Laboratories, leading the company's international multibillion-dollar ventures Electronic Switching Systems and Intelligent Network Businesses.

For the last six years, Girkins has worked as an adviser to Investor Growth Capital and served on multiple corporate boards, including Media Arts Group, Vallent, Kemet Electronics and Broadcom.

The author of Mother Leads Best: 50 Women Who Are Changing the Way Organizations Define Leadership (Kaplan Business, 2005), Girkins has completed the first half of her masters of divinity program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., Zondervan officials said.