Leading Executives in Book Stores
David Allen
Chief Executive Officer, Dymocks (Australia)
Appointed CEO effective September 8, 2025, Allen was brought in from senior roles at Pandora to lead the 146‑year‑old Dymocks brand’s next growth phase. He succeeds Mark Newman and is tasked with accelerating store and franchise performance across Australia.
Company bio | Newsroom | LinkedIn (company)
Javier Arrevola
Chief Executive Officer, Casa del Libro (Spain)
Retail veteran who has led Spain’s leading bookshop chain since 2018, steering omnichannel upgrades and store growth under Grupo Planeta.
Sharon Anderson Wright
Chief Executive Officer, Half Price Books (USA)
A lifelong bookseller who rose from the company’s first employee to CEO, Anderson Wright runs the nation’s largest family‑owned new & used bookstore chain.
Company site | LinkedIn (company)
Carl Cowling
Group Chief Executive Officer, WH Smith (UK – travel retail, bookshops)
Group CEO since 2019, Cowling led WH Smith’s pivot to travel retail and the 2025 sale of its UK high‑street chain, while managing a probe into a North America accounting error.
James Daunt
Chief Executive Officer, Barnes & Noble; CEO/MD, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble (USA) / Waterstones (UK)
Daunt is credited with revitalizing two of the world’s largest bookstore chains—serving as CEO of Barnes & Noble and managing director/CEO at Waterstones—while opening scores of new stores in 2024–2025.
Maria Edsman
Chief Executive Officer, Bokusgruppen (Sweden – Akademibokhandeln & Bokus)
CEO since 2018, Edsman leads Sweden’s largest books chain and online bookstore, driving steady growth and omnichannel initiatives across Akademibokhandeln and Bokus.
Terrance G. Finley
Chief Executive Officer, Books‑A‑Million (USA)
Long‑time BAM leader guiding one of America’s largest bookstore chains; Finley regularly champions store experience and community programs across 200+ locations.
Liam Hanly
Managing Director (CEO equivalent), Eason (Ireland)
Managing Director leading Ireland’s best‑known books and stationery retailer (including Dubray); has overseen portfolio reshaping and improved results through 2024–2025.
Nina Hugendubel
Managing Partner (Geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin), Hugendubel (Germany)
Fifth‑generation co‑owner and managing partner, Hugendubel has expanded one of Germany’s largest family‑run booksellers and advanced its omnichannel strategy.
Andy Hunter
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bookshop.org (USA)
Founder‑CEO who built the indie‑supporting online bookstore and, in 2025, launched a fast‑growing ebooks platform that shares profits with local shops.
Mitchell Kaplan
Founder & Owner, Books & Books (USA)
Founder‑owner of Miami’s influential indie chain and co‑founder of the Miami Book Fair, Kaplan is a nationally recognized champion of literary culture.
Company site | Miami Book Fair profile
Ingo Kretzschmar
Vorsitzender der Geschäftsführung (CEO), Thalia (Germany)
Named chairman of the management board (CEO equivalent) in 2022, Kretzschmar leads continental Europe’s largest bookseller, building on Thalia’s platform and store expansion.
Company news | Company news (2025)
Enrique Martínez
Chief Executive Officer, Fnac Darty (France – includes Fnac bookstores)
Group CEO since 2017, Martínez has pushed a services‑led omnichannel strategy and international growth (including Italy’s Unieuro deal) across the European retail group.
Muneaki Masuda
Chairman & Founder, Culture Convenience Club – Tsutaya (Japan)
Founder and now chairman of CCC (operator of TSUTAYA/TSUTAYA BOOKS), Masuda pioneered lifestyle‑led ‘T‑Site’ bookstores and continues to shape the brand’s flagship developments.
Corporate executives | Project news
Gavin Peck
Chief Executive Officer, The Works (UK – value books, crafts & stationery)
CEO since 2020, Peck has stabilized profitability and refined the ‘Time Well Spent’ strategy across a 500+ store estate with a sizeable value‑books offer.
Emily Powell
President & Owner, Powell’s Books (USA)
Third‑generation leader of America’s best‑known independent bookstore, Powell serves as president and owner, keeping the Portland icon thriving in print‑first bookselling.
Company bio | LinkedIn (company)
Heather Reisman
Chief Executive Officer, Indigo Books & Music (Canada)
Indigo’s founder returned as CEO in late 2023 and, after taking the company private in 2024, Reisman is resetting strategy and culture to reignite growth.
Pascal Schneebeli
Chief Executive Officer, Orell Füssli Thalia (Switzerland)
CEO of Switzerland’s market‑leading bookseller, Schneebeli has overseen new store openings and literacy‑driven brand initiatives while growing e‑commerce and B2B.
Jonathan Shar
Chief Executive Officer, Barnes & Noble Education (USA – campus bookstores)
Shar became BNED CEO on June 11, 2024, after leading Barnes & Noble College; he’s accelerating First Day Complete and retail modernization across hundreds of campus stores.
Mercy Wu
Chairwoman, Eslite Spectrum / Eslite Bookstore (Taiwan)
Chairwoman since 2017, Wu leads Eslite’s culture‑first retail model and announced Eslite’s 2024–2025 return to the Taipei Main Station area with a new flagship bookstore.
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