Barnes & Noble finally has a chief executive officer again, though nothing has actually changed at the company. Mike Huseby, who has been acting as the top executive since William Lynch was dismissed last July, has officially been promoted to companywide ceo. (When Lynch left, Huseby was promoted to ceo of the Nook Media unit and president of B&N Inc. Barnes & Noble Retail ceo Mitchell Klipper, who has been reporting to chairman Len Riggio, will now report to Huseby, along with BN College ceo Max Roberts.
Riggio says of Huseby in the announcement, "Although a relative newcomer to the retail book business, he has quickly developed a comprehensive understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges the Company faces, and he has a vision for the future in which I am in complete accord. Mike also has a passion for bookselling, which makes him a perfect fit for this job." Indeed, Huseby came to BN in March 2012 as chief financial officer, his first position in book retailing (after a decade in the cable tv business).
Huseby says: "The company is well positioned to maintain and grow its leadership position in the worlds of bookselling and the sale of digital media. My role, as I see it, is to enhance and unlock the value of these businesses for our shareholders. We are well-positioned in today’s dynamic reading and learning markets and confident in our ability to provide our customers with the best content offerings, digital media and educational products available in today’s marketplace."
