Barnes & Noble has just hired Demos Parneros as the company's new COO, or chief operating officer. He will report to CEO Len Rigio and will be responsible for more than 600 stores, merchandising, e-commerce, and much more.
Mr. Parneros joins Barnes & Noble from Staples, where he was president of North American Stores & Online. He has over 30 years of experience leading all aspects of retail management, including human resources, operations, merchandising, e-commerce, marketing, and real estate.
Mr. Parneros began his career at Staples as a general manager at its first store in New York in 1987. He worked his way up through all the ranks in various leadership positions until he was managing 50.000 associates across 1.800 stores and Staples' online business.
That's why Barnes and Noble are very happy with this contract:
We couldn't be happier to have Demos at Barnes & Noble, given his extensive sales experience. We believe his enviable track record will guide him toward achieving our business growth priorities and delivering greater value to our shareholders. Demos has been a strong leader throughout his career, and we believe he will be very successful in adapting to the book industry.
What's curious about this contract is that Barnes & Noble has hired another key executive with zero experience in selling books . In a recent investor conference, Len said they were taking their time hiring a new CEO because they wanted someone with experience in book sales. Several people are already predicting a less than promising future for Demos at Barnes & Noble.