NEW YORK, NY, March 9, 2026 -- Simon & Schuster today announced that Greg Greeley has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Jonathan Karp, who will remain with the company as Publisher of a new imprint, Simon Six. Greeley and Karp will work closely with Simon & Schuster’s publishing leaders to ensure continuity with authors, agents, and employees during the transition and to strengthen the company’s long-standing editorial culture.
“Simon & Schuster has played an enduring role in sharing and shaping human culture through books, and I’m honored to steward that mission for the next generation of authors and readers,” said Greeley. “For more than 100 years, the company has been synonymous with entrepreneurship and innovation. Simon & Schuster has been uniquely successful while remaining deeply anchored in editorial quality and trust. The opportunity to support authors’ careers and help their stories and ideas travel widely and take root across formats, markets, and generations is deeply compelling.”
Greeley comes to Simon & Schuster following an extensive career across multiple industries and multinational businesses, including a nearly 19-year tenure at Amazon. During that time he held a variety of senior roles, including leadership of the company’s global Books and Media business during a formative period of growth. In that capacity, he and his teams pioneered print-on-demand publishing, launched the company’s self-publishing platform, and expanded the company’s global audiobook and books marketplace capabilities through various acquisitions. Greg championed each of these moves to bring authors’ ideas to readers at greater scale.
“Greg Greeley is a talented and strategic leader with wide-ranging experience managing enterprises across physical and digital markets. His depth of expertise and avid love of books give us the confidence that he is the right CEO to take Simon & Schuster forward as it begins its next 100 years, taking the reins from Jon Karp, who has our enduring gratitude for his exceptional stewardship and whose brilliant publishing and editorial contributions will continue with Simon Six,” said Richard Sarnoff, Chairman of Simon & Schuster’s Board of Directors.
Board Member Ted Oberwager added: “Over the course of his career, Greg has brought an innovative spirit and multifaceted approach to the publishing industry, serving authors and readers all along the way. I have never been more optimistic about Simon & Schuster’s future than I am today. Greg’s experience and passion will be invaluable to Simon & Schuster as it builds on its iconic legacy and navigates an ever-evolving global media landscape. We look forward to investing behind Greg and the meaningful opportunity ahead.”
Following Amazon, Greeley served as President of Airbnb’s Homes business, overseeing the company’s global marketplace across more than 190 countries. He later served as President and COO of lab automation company Opentrons, helping lead its Pandemic Response Lab initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently as CEO of Thrasio. Most recently, he has served as an investor and advisor to a range of technology and consumer companies, including work with venture firms such as Tapas Capital and TCV. During his tenure at Amazon, Greeley also led the company’s international expansion efforts, across multiple regions. He also helped create and launch Amazon Prime and later championed reader discovery programs for Prime members, including First Reads, Prime Reading, and Audible spoken-word offerings that expanded discovery for authors and readers.
“Greg is ideally suited to lead Simon & Schuster into its next chapter, and I couldn’t be happier to pass on the stewardship of our great legacy to someone as visionary and accomplished as Greg,” said Jonathan Karp. “He is a transformative CEO and the best person to take Simon & Schuster to the next level while ensuring we keep books and their authors at the heart of everything we do. I am thrilled to be working with him and am confident he will take us to even greater heights.”
Simon & Schuster returned to its roots as a standalone, independent publishing company following its 2023 acquisition by funds managed by KKR. Since then, the company has continued to invest in new editors, authors, and publishing initiatives and pursued significant international expansion, including the 2024 acquisition of VBK, the largest book publisher in the Netherlands. It has continued to deliver strong financial results and instituted a broad-based employee ownership program for all Simon & Schuster staff worldwide.
About Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, a global leader in general interest publishing, is dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Adams Media, Avid Reader Press, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and VBK in the Netherlands and Belgium. It proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.
CONTACT:
Wibke Grutjen
Senior Vice President, Global Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
Simon & Schuster
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