Indigo founder Heather Reisman returns as CEO

After a brief retirement, Heather Reisman has been reinstated as CEO of Indigo, the book retailer she founded almost 30 years ago.

The retailer announced the news in a press release Monday morning.

“We are incredibly grateful that Heather has agreed to return to the helm of Indigo and as a member of the Board,” the company said. “More than ever, Heather’s unique experience is needed as we work to bring Indigo back to profitable growth.”

In addition to Reisman, the company’s chief financial officer Craig Loudon has been given the additional title of chief operating officer.

Reisman’s return is the latest twist in a tumultuous year for the company, one that began last fall with a shakeup of the executive ranks of the company, in which long-time company president Peter Ruis was promoted to CEO, while Reisman was bumped up to executive chair.

In the spring, the company was hit by a cyberattack that wiped out its ability to process electronic transactions for an extended period.

In the aftermath of that outage, Reisman announced her complete retirement from the company. A slate of board members also resigned at the same time — with one of them alleging mistreatment and citing a loss of confidence in the company’s leadership.

The next stunning move came earlier this month, when Ruis announced that he was resigning from the CEO position he had held for less than a year, effective immediately.

The company’s president, Andrea Limbardi, also resigned within months of her promotion to accept a job as CEO of clothing retailer Reitmans.