Since 1972, Sharon Anderson Wright has gone from the first employee of Half Price Books Records Magazines® to its President/CEO. She has helped the company expand from a single 1,000 square foot converted laundromat into the nation’s largest family-owned new and used bookstore chain. More than 2,500 employees currently generate annual revenues exceeding $210 million.
Sharon began working for Half Price Books at the age of 13, sorting and shelving paperbacks. In 1976, she opened and managed a store in Richardson, Texas, and in 1986, became manager of the company’s flagship store. Within three years she was promoted to District Manager of the five Dallas stores. Sharon was appointed General Manager and Executive Vice President over corporate operations the following year. She took the reins as Half Price Books President in 1996 after her mother, Half Price Books Cofounder Pat Anderson, passed away.
Adhering to the company philosophy that her mother maintained is a major objective for Wright. She continues to expand Half Price Books, opening approximately eight new bookstores per year, but is committed to keeping the company an eco-friendly, fun place to work.
Sharon also is personally committed to the company’s mission of preserving the environment by reusing and recycling. She is an avid reader and an advocate of reading and literacy. She is married and the mother of two children.
Half Price Books was founded on July 27, 1972, in Dallas, Texas, by Ken Gjemre and Sharon’s mother, Pat Anderson. Today, it remains a family-owned and operated business with both retail and wholesale divisions.