THE Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) has appointed a new chief executive. He is to be Sam Richardson, currently publisher of consumer learning at Hodder & Stoughton, and formerly in charge of religious publishing at HarperCollins. He begins work on 23 June.

While at Hodder & Stoughton, he was responsible for developing digital publishing.

He succeeds Simon Kingston, who was chief executive from 2007 until he retired at Christmas, and Joanna Moriarty, who was acting CEO. Ms Moriarty has now left SPCK to develop her work in publishing and charity governance.

SPCK was founded as a missionary society in 1698. Its recent past was overshadowed by the partnership it formed in 2006 to offload its bookshops with the St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust, run by two Texan brothers. All the bookshops were later closed, and the partnership was severed.

SPCK has since concentrated on publishing. Its leading author is the Rt Revd Professor Tom Wright, a former Bishop of Durham.