William Lynch Named CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc.

39-year-old William Lynch has been named CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS). Former CEO Steve Riggio will serve as vice chairman with an “active” role in the company.

Previously, Lynch had helmed Barnes & Noble.com, overseeing the launch of the Nook eReader. In addition, COO Mitchell Klipper will now serve as CEO of the company’s retail group.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. chairman Leonard Riggio had this statement: “William came to us as a skillful leader in e-commerce who, in a short period of time, has done a superb job in quickly establishing Barnes & Noble as a major player in e-commerce and digital content … Given the dynamic nature of the book industry, William is uniquely qualified to lead the company’s transition to multi-channel distribution and drive the continuing expansion of our e-commerce platform, eBooks and other digital content and products.”

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