Allison May
Birmingham,AL
Summary
- During my decade plus years with Books-A-Million I have worked in many roles showing with each elevated appointment the ethics, loyalty and drive the company expects from its leaders. I have spent many years learning what Books-A-Million expects from me individually as well as those I lead. These qualities have helped me to be an empathetic, purpose driven, adaptable leader. I endeavor to further hone these skills as I learn even more about the companies systems, processes and operations.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Interim GM
Books-A-Million
12.2025 - Current
- Supporting daily management activities to develop smooth business operations.
- Provide employees clear communication to address disciplinary issues and inconsistencies in brand standards.
- Implemented company directed mechanisms for continuous improvement of customer service standards.
- Increased staff knowledge of brand standards by mentoring personnel on management principles, industry practices, and company procedures.
- Providing guidance to personnel in navigating and resolving snags in productivity, inventory management and merchandising standards.
Project Team Lead
Books-A-Million
09.2025 - 12.2025
- Worked alongside cross-functional teams to execute project timelines.
- Communicated daily with team members, fostering professional growth, team unity and team member alignment.
- Managed team travel plans, housing and meals to operate within budget allotment, striving for minimal travel stress and a worry free work environment.
- Provided guidance as needed to new team members while delegating tasks based on individual strengths and skill sets within the team.
- Worked closely with the team to establish clear roles and responsibilities as well as ensure efficient task distribution among members.
- Built strong relationships with other teams and individuals to ensure continued team efficiency and success on future projects.
- Ensured compliance with company standards and regulations by maintaining strict adherence to established guidelines during project execution.
- Constantly monitor project progression to remain on schedule and apprised of issues that require adaptation to current goals.
Project Team Member
2NC
08.2025 - 09.2025
- Ensured project timelines adhered to company standards through team collaboration.
- Enhanced project workflows by pinpointing inefficiencies.
- Maintained comprehensive project documentation to enhance team communication and knowledge sharing.
- Fostered positive relationships with local teams to facilitate collaboration and ensure project success.
District and Field Project Support
Books-A-Million
Birmingham, Al
03.2025 - 08.2025
- Contributed to successful project completion by consistently meeting deadlines and fulfilling assigned tasks promptly.
- Conducted research on each project to gather necessary data for informed decision-making during the project.
- Fostered a positive team environment through open communication channels and regular checkins.
- Assisted in project management, ensuring projects remained on schedule.
- Communicated with project manager to provide updates on project status, milestones, and any challenges.
- Demonstrated flexibility in adapting to new roles or responsibilities within the project as needed, contributing to overall project success by providing support wherever necessary.
- Cultivated strong relationships with other teams, understanding their needs, allowing for the most benefit to project objectives.
General Manager
Books-A-Million
Fultondale, AL
02.2022 - 02.2025
- Guided staff through company driven training programs to improve team performance and productivity.
- Managed inventory control processes, alerting the company to on hand issues, overseeing accurate void and markdown cycles and minimizing inventory shrink.
- Analyzed sales data to identify trends, developing action plans for underperforming or newly performing inventory.
- Streamlined store operations by providing effective training to optimize workflow and instill the most efficient practices.
- Conducted regular performance evaluations, providing constructive feedback to team members.
- Cultivated working relationships with merchant teams, home office staff, and other partners to ensure long-term success and respect.
- Maximized efficiency by coaching and mentoring personnel on management principles, company policies and procedures, and ticketing portals.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement, introducing regular review sessions that boosted team performance metrics and morale.
- Addressed customer complaints and feedback with immediate action, turning dissatisfied customers into loyal patrons.
- Interacted well with customers to build connections and nurture relationships providing staff an example of exemplary customer service.
- Recruited, hired, and trained personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline scope of positions for all team members.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Daily monitored cash discrepancies addressing problems quickly with company directed corrective action plans.
- Created and supervised exciting merchandise displays to catch attention of store customers following BAM merchandising guidelines.
- Lead store team through store closure alongside and with guidance from company construction manager.
Assistant General Manager
Books-A-Million
06.2020 - 01.2022
- Acted as interim GM for the last month of store operations and led the team during store closure with a company field project manager.
- Managed daily operations, ensuring adherence to company policies and procedures.
- Created staff schedules to optimize team efficiency and coverage based on individual strengths as well as customer traffic.
- Handled cash accurately and prepared deposits.
- Motivated, trained, and disciplined employees to maximize performance.
- Partnered with the General Manager on marketing initiatives to increase brand awareness and drive sales growth.
- Assisted in the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding process for new employees equipping them with skills needed for success in their roles.
Education
Bachelor’s - English
Jefferson State Community College
Birmingham, Alabama, ALHigh School Diploma -
Fultondale High School
Fultondale, ALAssociate of Science - Biology And Psychology
Jefferson State Community College
Birmingham, Alabama, ALSkills
Leadership and team development
Problem resolution
Operations management
Team management
Task delegation
Innovation and creativity
Adaptability and flexibility
Work Planning and Prioritization
Problem-solving aptitude
Timeline
Interim GM
Books-A-Million
12.2025 - Current
Project Team Lead
Books-A-Million
09.2025 - 12.2025
Project Team Member
2NC
08.2025 - 09.2025
District and Field Project Support
Books-A-Million
03.2025 - 08.2025
General Manager
Books-A-Million
02.2022 - 02.2025
Assistant General Manager
Books-A-Million
06.2020 - 01.2022
Bachelor’s - English
Jefferson State Community College
High School Diploma -
Fultondale High School
Associate of Science - Biology And Psychology
Jefferson State Community College