Editors with imprints?

There is a broad trend of imprints from large publishing houses with the names of people. Nancy Paulsen at Penguin, for example. I will begin to compile a list of these names, and find out where this trend comes from. My suspicion is that these are editors who have been able to pitch the idea of an imprint as a way to flatten the hierarchy of the corporate publishing industry. The imprint editor would have to pitch a vision and mission that helps her distinguish her business plan from the rest of the company. If so, this is an indicator of organizational problems in the industry, for which this is an ingenious short-term solution.