Barnesandnoble.com CEO Resigns

Barnesandnoble.com Inc. said Chief Executive Jonathan Bulkeley resigned after a year at the bookseller to focus on his investment in QXL.com, Europe’s largest Web auctioneer. Stephen Riggio, 45, will serve as acting CEO and also was named vice chairman. Riggio previously served as chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble Inc. and founded the Internet arm of the world’s largest bookseller. Barnes & Noble and German publisher Bertelsmann each own 41% of Barnesandnoble.com. Bulkeley, 39, was named CEO of Barnesandnoble.com in November 1998. He previously was managing director of the British operation of a joint venture between Bertelsmann and America Online Inc. He is nonexecutive chairman of QXL and has a substantial investment in the company, Barnesandnoble.com said. New York-based Barnesandnoble.com said it expects to name a CEO soon. It announced the resignation after the markets closed. Its shares closed off 63 cents at $15.44 on Nasdaq.