Barnes & Noble Education Appoints Hunter Blankenbaker as Vice President of Investor Relations

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED), a leading solutions provider for the education industry, today announced that Hunter Blankenbaker has been appointed Vice President of Investor Relations. Mr. Blankenbaker will report directly to Thomas Donohue, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, BNED.

Mr. Blankenbaker brings more than 25 years of investor relations experience to BNED, along with a track record of success in strategic transformations and initial public offerings, while being a valuable partner to the investment community and analysts. As Vice President of Investor Relations, Mr. Blankenbaker will work closely with the management team to help communicate BNED’s strategy and performance to investors and analysts and support the Company’s quarterly earnings reporting and processes. He will also be responsible for maintaining relationships with investors and analysts, and assisting them in understanding the Company’s business model, long-term strategy, governance and financial performance.

“We are pleased to welcome Hunter to BNED as our new Vice President of Investor Relations,” said Thomas Donohue, EVP, Chief Financial Officer, BNED. “As the new head of Investor Relations, Hunter brings a wealth of experience with buy-side equity analysts and a strong network of relationships across the investment community. His outstanding financial and analytical skills will be a great asset to BNED as we continue to advance our long-term value for shareholders.”

Mr. Blankenbaker has held leadership positions in the software and communications services industries, most recently serving as Head of Investor Relations for Justworks, a cloud-based payroll and human resources software provider. Prior to his role at Justworks, he served as Vice President, Investor Relations for Vonage, leading a strategic investor relations program during the company’s transformation into a leading communication-as-a-service provider and eventual sale to Ericcson for $6.2 billion. Before Vonage, Mr. Blankenbaker served as Executive Director, Investor Relations for Verizon, a $158 billion Dow component, acting as the primary liaison with institutional investors, buy-side and sell-side analysts, and leading investor communications and messaging development.

Mr. Blankenbaker holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE EDUCATION, INC.
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED) is a leading solutions provider for the education industry, driving affordability, access and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide and ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Through its family of brands, BNED offers campus retail services and academic solutions, a digital direct-to-student learning ecosystem, wholesale capabilities and more. BNED is a company serving all who work to elevate their lives through education, supporting students, faculty and institutions as they make tomorrow a better, more inclusive and smarter world. For more information, visit www.bned.com.