Head of Zeus promotes Ryan to lead new communications team

Head of Zeus (HoZ) has appointed a new communications team led by Chrissy Ryan to manage the indie’s marketing and publicity.

Export sales manager Ryan has been promoted to communications director and will head up the team from the beginning of April. Jade Gwilliam will be joining as communications manager alongside Clare Gordon, with Vicky Joss as digital marketing executive.

Former bookseller Ryan joined HoZ in 2016 as London sales account manager, organising high profile events and tours for authors from C.J. Box to Fintan O’Toole and Cory Doctorow. For the past year she has managed the firm’s international PR, including world tours for Ben Okri, Sally Gardner, and Min Jin Lee. She had been covering maternity leave for Victoria Reed, who returns as export sales director in April.

Gwilliam has six years of experience in events management, where she worked on behalf of major organisations from the NHS to The British Museum. She joined HoZ for three months before being offered a permanent position in the new team and will continue in her role as events coordinator for the Society of Young Publishers in London.

The pair join Gordon, who has been working in the communications team for two years, and Joss, who manages social media and digital marketing for digital imprint Aria.

Ryan said: “The energy, passion and enthusiasm of the incoming team is second to none and, after working on our fantastic books for two and a half years, I am very excited to get stuck into this incredible opportunity. I’m very proud of the Head of Zeus list and I'm really looking forward to working even more closely with our talented authors.”

Publisher Nicolas Cheetham said: "Dynamic, tenacious and creative, Chrissy is the foundation stone of our new communications team and at the heart of Head of Zeus' mission to deliver the best possible PR and marketing for our authors." 

The new appointments come after a raft of recent departures, including communications director Suzanne Sangster and Lucy Gilmour, editorial director.