

A little shuffling at the top at Diamond Comics Distributors, the biggest distributor to the direct sales marker. Shawn Hamrick has been promoted to Vice President of Operations, replacing John Wurzer, who is retiring after 27 years at Diamond, effective April 30th.

Hamrick has been at Diamond since 1994, rising from a trainee to Executive Director in 2013. According to the PR, Hamrick sat under the learning tree with Wurzer, who has been in a consultancy position at Diamond for a little over a year.

This is a key position at Diamond, with a lot of forward facing responsibilities – doubtless everyone will be lining up to give Hamrick a hearty congratulations at the Diamond Retailer Summit, being held May 18-20 in Las Vegas!

Full PR below.

“Hamrick has been a key member of the team that oversaw the design, installation, and implementation of our upgraded warehouse infrastructure and systems in Olive Branch, MS, a project which has resulted in efficiency improvements and record-low damage rates,” said Diamond COO, Chuck Parker. “Hamrick’s problem-solving abilities, as well as his deep knowledge of the comic book industry and our Warehouse Management System software will make him a great asset in his new role as Vice President of Operations.”

Hamrick joined Diamond in 1994 as a Management Trainee, rising to Assistant Manager, then Receiving Manager. In 1997, Hamrick became Warehouse Manager at Diamond’s Sparta, IL Distribution Center before his promotion to Regional Manager in 2002. As that facility continued to expand and relocate — first to Memphis, TN, and later to Olive Branch, MS — so did Hamrick’s responsibilities, resulting in his promotion to Executive Director in 2013.

Through much of his career, Hamrick has received mentoring from former Vice President of Operations and longtime Diamond employee John Wurzer. In November 2017, after twenty-seven years of service, Wurzer retired from full time employment at Diamond and assumed a consultancy role within the Company. On April 30, 2019, Wurzer will be stepping down from his consultancy position to fully embrace his well-deserved retirement.

“We thank John for his commitment and service to Diamond over the years,” said Parker. “He has generously and successfully imparted his knowledge to Shawn, who will now apply it in new and exciting ways as Diamond’s new VP of Operations.”