Basking Ridge-based Barnes & Noble Education Inc. is bringing in a former Six Flags executive as its new general counsel and corporate secretary.

In a March 6 announcement naming Christopher Neumann to the posts, the company said it believes his background in “driving strategic initiatives and enterprise-wide growth at complex public and private companies will be instrumental in strengthening BNED’s legal framework, business strategy, governance and risk management.”

Before his March 3 start at BNED, Neumann served as general counsel and corporate secretary at Six Flags Entertainment Corp., a Charlotte, N.C.-headquartered company that owns and operates 51 amusement parks, water parks and resorts across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Its local portfolio includes Six Flags Great Adventure theme park, Wild Safari animal park and Hurricane Harbor water park in Jackson.

At Six Flags, Neumann led legal and corporate compliance functions – including through the company’s July 2024 $8 billion merger with longtime rival Cedar Fair. 

Before joining Six Flags in 2018, he spent eight years as vice president, deputy general counsel for international educational services company Kaplan. There, he gained significant experience and knowledge within the education industry while overseeing Kaplan’s North American legal function, BNED said.

Neumann has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Vermont and law degree from St. John’s University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and served on the St. John’s Law Review.

New chief accounting officer

BNED also appointed Gary Luster as its chief accounting officer.

In his previous positions with TerrAscend, Tiffany & Co., Capri Holdings and the former consumer health division of East Hanover-headquartered Novartis, Luster led enterprise-wide financial transformations, optimized reporting structures and implemented financial controls to support growth, BNED said.

At BNED, Luster’s leadership and financial expertise “will be key in elevating business strategy, improving operational efficiencies, and ensuring long-term fiscal resilience,” the company said.

Luster earned a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Rutgers University. He is also a certified public accountant.

Commenting on the new appointees, BNED Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Shar said, “Chris and Gary significantly enhance the depth and capabilities of BNED’s leadership team as we continue to drive operational improvements across our business.”

“Their extensive experience and proven track records in their respective fields will be instrumental in strengthening the company. Their leadership will play a crucial role in optimizing our processes, mitigating risk, and aligning our strategies with industry best practices — which will position BNED for long-term growth and enhanced shareholder value,” Shar said.

Until 2015, BNED was part of the Barnes & Noble national retail bookstore chain. After Barnes & Noble separated its higher education operation from the retail trade stores, BNED became one of the largest operators of college bookstores in the U.S. It runs more than 650 campus stores and school-branded e-commerce sites serving nearly 6 million college students and faculty nationwide.