BLACK MONDAY: Condé Nast Publications staffers are known to expect major changes after chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr. returns from vacation in January. Monday continued the tradition — before the lunchtime rush in 4 Times Square's cafeteria, the buzz about the departures of group president Mitchell Fox, Lucky vice president and publisher Sandy Golinkin and Amy Churgin, senior vice president of Condé Nast Media Group, was spreading among top executives. Meanwhile, Glamour vice president and publisher Bill Wackermann, The New Yorker vice president and publisher Lou Cona and Tom Florio, publishing director of Vogue, Men's Vogue and Vogue Living, were promoted to senior vice presidents; David Carey, Condé Nast group president and publishing director of Portfolio, had his responsibilities expanded to include Golf Digest Publications and Wired Media, and Drew Schutte, Wired Media vice president and publishing director, was tapped to succeed Cona at The New Yorker, while Gina Sanders, vice president and publisher of Teen Vogue, replaced Golinkin at Lucky.

While the shake-up surprised many for its scale, the moves come after speculation about sweeping changes in the publishing ranks, specifically naming Cona, Fox and Churgin, that had circulated in the hallways of 4 Times Square for months.

Fox, who oversaw the Golf Digest Publications; the Fairchild Fashion Group, parent of WWD; W magazine; Bon Appétit, and Condé Nast Bridal Media, was told of the decision Monday morning by Townsend. "My job here was a newly created position," Fox said. "We all agreed that my abilities were underutilized in this job, but there was not another position that could take advantage of my abilities. As a result, we all mutually agreed that, rather than me bide my time here, I'd rather move on."

Fox will be leaving the company in the next two weeks.

Insiders said Carey, a well-liked executive who was publisher of both House & Garden and The New Yorker, is being groomed for a larger role at the company. They also believe Wackermann, who was named senior vice president, publishing director and given oversight of the Bridal Media group, and Florio, who added Teen Vogue to his portfolio and senior vice president to his title, are being rewarded for their work in expanding their respective magazines' ad pages and revenues.