Damon Reiss Returns to HarperCollins Christian Publishing to Lead Trade Division

HarperCollins Christian Publishing has rehired longtime executive Damon Reiss to serve as senior vice president and group publisher for its Christian trade publishing division. The appointment, announced Wednesday by CEO Mark Schoenwald, puts Reiss in charge of Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, and the two publishers’ combined eight imprints.

The move is notable not only because it places a familiar leader back in a key role, but because Reiss had only recently left the company. He spent two decades at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, most recently as vice president and publisher of the W imprint, before departing earlier this year for a C-suite position at Tyndale.

That departure was short-lived. Reiss began at Tyndale as chief publishing officer on June 1, and his return to HarperCollins Christian Publishing follows less than three months later. Schoenwald said he was bringing Reiss back because of his “extensive experience, dynamic leadership, and passion for the work.”

For HarperCollins Christian Publishing, the appointment signals continuity at a division that plays a central role in its Christian trade business. Thomas Nelson and Zondervan are among the best-known names in Christian publishing, and the group publisher role oversees their shared imprint structure. A leadership change in such a position can shape editorial direction, publishing priorities, and how the company manages its trade list.

Reiss framed the return in strongly personal terms, saying in the release that he is “thrilled” to rejoin HCCP, “a place I value and deeply believe in,” and that he is grateful for the chance to continue its mission of publishing Christian content that “inspires, encourages, and equips readers around the world.”

The appointment also highlights the small, tightly connected leadership pool in Christian publishing, where experienced executives often move between major houses and brands. Reiss’s return to a familiar employer after a brief stint elsewhere suggests the importance of institutional knowledge in a sector where editorial identity and mission are closely linked.

What comes next for the division will likely depend on how Reiss translates that experience into day-to-day oversight of the imprints under Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For now, the announcement restores a veteran publisher to a leadership seat he knows well, while underscoring HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s emphasis on mission-driven trade publishing.