Staples CEO stepping down as firm looks beyond office supplies

Staples CEO Ron Sargent will step down this month.

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By Sam Bonacci

Following the failed merger with Office Depot, long-time Staples, Inc. CEO Ron Sargent will step down on June 14.

Sargent, who has led the company for 27 years, has agreed with the board of directors to step down at the company’s annual meeting. Shira Goodman, Staples’ president of North America Operations will serve as the interim CEO.

Sargent will continue to serve as a director and non-executive chairman through Staples’ 2016 fiscal year ending on Jan. 28.

Sargent said he was pleased to have worked at Staples during a formative time for the company and the industry. Goodman said she was confident about positioning the company for the next phase of growth and would be focusing on the best growth opportunities of mid-market business customers in North America and in key categories beyond office supplies.

Goodman has been with the company for 23 years, working in nearly every area of the Staples business. She is also on the board of directors for CarMax, Inc. and holds a master's degree of management science with a concentration in strategy and marketing from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.