Longtime Vertigo head Karen Berger, currently Executive Editor and Senior Vice President, will be leaving DC at the end of March 2013.  She’s staying until then to smooth the transition to "a new leadership team which includes staffers whom she has mentored over the years," the announcement said. Berger is ready for a professional change, and "looking forward to pursuing exciting new opportunities."

DC is planning a celebration next year to celebrate Berger’s career at DC. 

Berger has been at DC since 1979, and has headed Vertigo since its founding nearly 20 years ago.  Titles from her portfolio include The Sandman, Hellblazer, V for Vendetta, Fables, Preacher, the Invisibles, 100 Bullets, Y - The Last Man and American Vampire.  The number of ongoing series has declined in recent years, with Hellblazer, the longest continuously-running title in the Vertigo line, recently canceled and reborn in new form as part of the New 52 (see "'Constantine' to New 52").  But Vertigo has also had recent high-profile successes, including Get Jiro, by Anthony Bourdain (see "Celebrity Chef Writing Vertigo Title") and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (see "DC's 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' GN Commercial").

DC is promising an ongoing commitment to the line.  DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson said of Berger’s departure: "We are extremely grateful for Karen’s commitment and dedication to Vertigo, its books and its incredibly talented team of staff and creators.  In Vertigo she leaves a legacy to which we remain committed and on which we intend to build for the future."

Berger’s departure is part of a continuing multi-year transition in DC’s top management team, as Levitz-era executives depart and the newer Nelson executive team chooses their replacements.  Berger’s husband, SVP and Creative Director Richard Bruning, was among a group of executives that left the company two years ago (see "DC Executive Shake-up Continues").