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800-CEO-READ Announces Changes to Leadership Structure

Following the recent retirement of company founder and president Jack Covert, business book retailer 800-CEO-READ announced several changes in the company’s leadership structure.

Sally Haldorson has been named 800-CEO-READ’s new general manager. She has been with the company in multiple roles since 1998 and also served as in-house editor of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.

Aaron Schleicher, an author services sales specialist since 2004, is now sales group leader.

Meg Bacik is now customer service group leader. She was first hired in 1997 to assist the accounting department before moving to customer service.

Dylan Schleicher, who will lead the marketing and editorial department, joined 800-CEO-READ’s shipping and receiving department in 2003, and worked in customer service and accounting before moving into his current role.

Ryan Schleicher is returning to the company to work with both the sales and marketing teams, as well as handling press relations; Mike Shauwitzer is joining the logistics and special projects teams; Roy Normington is adding social media to his customer services duties; and Stephanie Grzona joining the customer service team, in addition to IT support.

800-CEO-READ began in 1984 as a part of the former Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops. Its owners are CEO Carol Grossmeyer, wife of the late David Schwartz, and Rebecca Schwartz, daughter of David and granddaughter of Harry.

FTC Files Suit Against Amazon Over Accidental In-App Purchases

A complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission charges Amazon.com with unlawfully billing customers millions of dollars for accidental in-app purchases made by children through games on devices, including the Amazon Fire Phone, the Los Angeles Times reported. The FTC is asking the court to require Amazon to refund customers for these accidental purchases, which are made when games allegedly trick children into buying virtual goods with real-world money.

The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington state, alleges that thousands of parents fell victim to a system that allows charges without any step “that requires a password to validate payment information,” the L.A.Times reported.

An example is the game “Tap Zoo” in which children populate a virtual zoo with various animals. Payment is required for animals and other game objects in “coins” or “stars,” some by in-game currency and some by real-world credit card charges, the complaint said.

SIBA Receives 2014 Scholarship Support From Reba and Dave Williams Foundation

The Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance announced this week that The Reba and Dave Williams Foundation for Literature and the Arts will once again be making a sizeable donation to its scholarship program for booksellers. The initiative, which launched in conjunction with SIBA’s 2013 trade show, will help offset booksellers’ costs in attending the upcoming 2014 trade show, to be held in Norfolk, Virginia, on September 19 – 21.

Dave and Reba White Williams, who are both authors, have a long history of support and commitment to the literary arts, and are the founders and sponsors of the annual Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction.

SIBA will use the 2014 Scholarship Fund to help as many bookstores as possible to attend the trade show, including assistance with expenses such as hotel rooms, meals, and more. Stores who wish to apply for assistance should contact SIBA Executive Director [email protected], as should anyone who would like to contribute to the fund.

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