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| Tim Mantel | |
Tim Mantel, the chief merchandising officer at Barnes & Noble who once was seen as a possible heir to B&N founder Len Riggio, was quietly let go by the company in recent weeks. The move followed the takeover of B&N in August by Elliott Advisors for $683 million.
B&N did not announce the departure, but several people in the industry have learned of Mantel's departure, which was said to have been abrupt.
A year ago, in the turmoil following the sudden firing of CEO Demos Parneros, who had hired Mantel, Mantel was said to have visited publishers with Riggio and made a good impression. The Wall Street Journal wrote that Mantel was "on the rise at the company," according to sources, and was one of three executives who were running B&N and reporting to Riggio while the company looked for another CEO. (The position wasn't filled until James Daunt became CEO after B&N was sold.)
Mantel was hired in February 2018 and earlier had been chief merchandising officer at GNC Corp.; senior v-p, food, household essentials and food service at Target; and president of Target Sourcing Services, a business analyst, buyer and merchandise planning director.
Mantel is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin's Madison School of Business, where he studied marketing and international business. He has served on various boards, including Nibakure Children's Village, a nonprofit that helps communities in Rwanda, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association Apparel Coalition.