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The Management Reshuffling Continues at Kobo

Kobo Michael _Tamblyn_has been quietly going through a management reshuffling over the past few months, with Michael Serbinis stepping down as CEO, other senior management departing the company, and now Michael Tamblyn being promoted.

Kobo announced Thursday morning that Michael Tamblyn, one of the original members of the Kobo executive team, has now been promoted to President of the company where he will work closely with the new Kobo CEO Takahito Aiki. In related news, Cerys Goodall left her position at Kobo as head of PR earlier this year.

Having joined Shortcovers in June 2009, Tamblyn has been a member of Kobo’s executive team since before it was known as Kobo. Since then, he has led the expansion of Kobo’s publisher relationships, content catalogue, and merchandising operations around the world. Prior to joining Kobo, Tamblyn was the founding CEO of the supply chain agency BookNet Canada. Tamblyn also co-founded Canada’s first online bookstore Bookshelf.ca, purchased by Indigo Books & Music in 1998, where he also served as Vice President of Online Operations.

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Comments


L April 3, 2014 um 9:08 pm

I think I remember Michael Tamblyn, isn’t he the condescending "There are some books we won’t sell" guy who was removing self published books because of content while continuing to sell traditionally published books with the same content?

Nate Hoffelder April 3, 2014 um 9:22 pm

Yep.

L April 3, 2014 um 9:25 pm

Ahh, I thought so.


Todd Humphrey April 4, 2014 um 12:42 am

Michael is, without question, one of the finest people in this business, and not condescending in any way. This would be recognized by anyone who has actually spent time with him.

L April 4, 2014 um 2:37 am

I’m sure Michael Tamblyn’s a lovely person in real life & I wish him all the best in his new job.

However, as a avid reader & Kobo customer, not someone directly in the publishing business, the first time I had ever heard his name was when I read this:

http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=fe7f98a7a91989412a2df9c1e&id=951fd46933&e=846a7da9ee

It did not make a good first impression. I found this letter condescending to readers, customers & writers, and a complete double standard considering the "wide net" across the Kobo catalogue only involved self published books. Until Kobo tries to take down the Marquis de Sade, or the many similar traditionally published books that technically violate the company’s content policies, his stand in this letter just does not work.

Again, I’m sure he’s a great guy in real life, but I was referring specifically to that letter as being condescending. The tone & wording of that one letter cost Kobo at least $400 in sales from me.


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