Barnes & Noble Education appoints Christopher Neumann as General Counsel and Gary Luster as Chief Accounting Officer.
Quiver AI Summary
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. has appointed Christopher Neumann as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary and Gary Luster as Chief Accounting Officer, effective March 3, 2025. Neumann, previously General Counsel at Six Flags, brings extensive legal expertise in corporate governance and risk management, particularly from his experience in the education sector with Kaplan. Luster joins BNED with a strong background in accounting and finance, having held leadership roles in various retail companies, where he focused on financial transformations and compliance. Both appointees are expected to enhance BNED’s leadership and contribute to operational improvements and strategic growth, as emphasized by CEO Jonathan Shar.
Potential Positives
- The appointment of Christopher Neumann as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary brings significant legal expertise, particularly in corporate governance and risk management, which can strengthen BNED's legal framework.
- Gary Luster's role as Chief Accounting Officer is expected to enhance financial operations and compliance, drawing on his extensive experience with large-scale retailers.
- Both appointments are anticipated to drive operational improvements and strategic decision-making, positioning BNED for long-term growth and enhanced shareholder value.
Potential Negatives
- Uncertainty about the future benefits of new appointments, as the press release highlights the risk of not successfully integrating new leadership and retaining key employees.
- The reliance on forward-looking statements may raise concerns about the company's transparency and the actual achievement of their strategic goals.
FAQ
Who has been appointed as General Counsel at Barnes & Noble Education?
Christopher Neumann has been appointed as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, effective March 3, 2025.
What experience does Christopher Neumann bring to BNED?
Neumann has extensive legal experience from Six Flags and Kaplan, focusing on corporate governance and the education sector.
Who is the new Chief Accounting Officer of BNED?
Gary Luster has been appointed as Chief Accounting Officer at Barnes & Noble Education.
What is Gary Luster's background in finance?
Luster has led financial transformations and implemented financial controls at major retail companies, enhancing operational efficiencies.
How will Neumann and Luster's appointments impact BNED?
Their leadership is expected to optimize processes, mitigate risks, and support BNED’s long-term growth strategy.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
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Full Release
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.
(NYSE: BNED), a leading solutions provider for the education industry, today announced the appointment of
Christopher Neumann
as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary and
Gary Luster
as Chief Accounting Officer, effective March 3, 2025.
Christopher Neumann – General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Mr. Neumann joins BNED from Six Flags — a NYSE listed public company that operates an extensive portfolio of large-scale amusement and water parks across the United States, Canada, and Mexico — where he served as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary and led the legal and corporate governance functions in a fast-moving and highly dynamic industry, including through Six Flags’ $8 billion merger with Cedar Fair. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for Kaplan, an international educational services company, where he gained significant experience and knowledge within the education industry while overseeing Kaplan’s North American legal function.
Mr. Neumann’s expertise in driving strategic initiatives and enterprise-wide growth at complex public and private companies will be instrumental in strengthening BNED’s legal framework, business strategy, governance, and risk management.
Mr. Neumann holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and earned his JD from St. John’s University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and served on the
St. John’s Law Review
.
Gary Luster – Chief Accounting Officer
Mr. Luster joins BNED with an extensive background in accounting and finance, having successfully led enterprise-wide financial transformations, optimized reporting structures, and implemented robust financial controls to support business growth. His experience across large-scale, multi-location retailers such as TerrAscend, Capri Holdings (which owns Michael Kors, Versace, and Jimmy Choo), Tiffany & Co., and the former consumer health division of Novartis gives him unique insights into navigating complex financial operations, ensuring compliance, and driving strategic decision-making. Mr. Luster’s leadership and financial expertise will be key in elevating BNED’s business strategy, improving operational efficiencies, and ensuring long-term fiscal resilience.
Mr. Luster holds both a BA and MBA from Rutgers University and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
"Chris and Gary significantly enhance the depth and capabilities of BNED’s leadership team as we continue to drive operational improvements across our business,” said Jonathan Shar, Chief Executive Officer, BNED. “Their extensive experience and proven track records in their respective fields will be instrumental in strengthening the company. Their leadership will play a crucial role in optimizing our processes, mitigating risk, and aligning our strategies with industry best practices — which will position BNED for long-term growth and enhanced shareholder value.”
ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE EDUCATION, INC.
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED) is a leading solutions provider for the education industry, driving affordability, access, and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide and ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Through its family of brands, BNED offers campus retail services, academic solutions, wholesale capabilities, and more. BNED is a company serving all who work to elevate their lives through education, supporting students, faculty, and institutions as they make tomorrow a better and smarter world. For more information, visit
www.bned.com
.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and information relating to us and our business that are based on the beliefs of our management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to our management. When used in this communication, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “will,” “forecasts,” “projections,” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management, identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to the anticipated benefits of the appointment of Christopher Neumann as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary and Gary Luster as Chief Accounting Officer. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events, the outcome of which is subject to certain risks, including, but not limited to: the ability to successfully integrate new members of our leadership team; our ability to retain members of our leadership team and other key employees; as well as other risks related to the growth of our business. For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 27, 2024 as filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements made by us in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and we do not intend to update these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, except as required by law.
Media Contact
:
Judith Buckingham
Corporate Communications
Barnes & Noble Education
jbuckingham@bned.com
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