Hachette Book Group Names Christine Ball and Emily Meehan to Executive Management Board

Hachette Book Group (HBG) has announced key executive leadership appointments, naming Christine Ball and Emily Meehan to its Executive Management Board as part of a strategic publishing expansion.

Christine Ball will join HBG in November as President and Publisher of Grand Central Publishing, filling the role vacated by Ben Sevier following his promotion to Chief Executive Officer of HBG. Ball brings over two decades of experience from Penguin Random House, where she most recently served as Executive Vice President and Publisher at Berkley, with prior publisher roles at Dutton and Putnam. Over her career, Ball has managed high-profile releases from authors including former President Barack Obama, Emily Henry, Mark Greaney, Nick Offerman, and Carley Fortune. In her new role, she will oversee Grand Central Publishing as well as Hachette’s Nashville imprints.

Effective January 1, 2027, Emily Meehan will be promoted to President and Publisher of Union Square & Co. (UNSQ). Following HBG’s acquisition of UNSQ in 2024, Meehan has led publishing operations across its roster of imprints, including Union Square Kids, Union Square Gift, Boxer Books, Knock Knock, and Em & Friends. Coinciding with her promotion, UNSQ will transition from operating under the Grand Central Publishing Group to becoming an independent publishing division within HBG, with Meehan joining the Executive Management Board.

"Christine is an expert cultivator of talent, architect of book campaigns, engineer of author careers, and an experienced leader of publishing teams," incoming HBG's CEO Ben Sevier said in a statement. Speaking on Meehan's transition, Sevier noted her leadership during UNSQ's integration into HBG, calling her "a visionary leader whose voice on the Executive Management Board will surely benefit all of HBG."

The appointments mark a continued restructuring of HBG’s executive leadership team as the publisher expands its imprint footprint across the trade industry.