Office supplies retailer Staples quietly appointed Rachel Huckle as the Framingham-based firm’s new CEO last year.
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Office supplies retailer Staples quietly appointed Rachel Huckle as the Framingham-based firm’s new CEO last year.
Huckle assumed her role as the head of Staples’ global operations in August, according to her LinkedIn profile. Staples’ website confirms she is the firm’s CEO.
While Huckle’s current position is new, she has worked for Staples Canada since 2019, most recently serving as its CEO, according to her LinkedIn.
“After six unforgettable years with Staples Canada, I’ve traded one red jersey for another—continuing my journey with Staples Inc. in the USA,” Huckle said in a LinkedIn post six months ago.
Staples is the second-largest employer in Central Massachusetts, behind only UMass Memorial Health in Worcester and tied with Texas-based Dell Technologies. Staples has 12,000 employees worldwide, including between 5,000 and 10,000 in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The company generated $8 billion in revenue in 2024.
Typically, when a company of its size selects a new leader, the firm will make a public announcement, as Staples did in 2021 when John Lederer was named interim CEO. Despite Huckle being named CEO last year, only a handful of retail trade publications have reported the news.
WBJ has reached out to Staples for comment.
Staples was formerly a publicly traded company listed on the Nasdaq, but the office supply retailer was taken private following its 2017 acquisition by New York City private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
Huckle replaces Lederer, who had previously served as the company’s executive chairman. Lederer took on the role in June 2021 after Alexander “Sandy” Douglas stepped down as CEO that same month.
Before joining Staples Canada, Huckle held leadership roles at food and pharmaceutical retailer Loblaw Companies Limited and at Shoppers Drug Mart, both based in Ontario, according to her LinkedIn.
She graduated with master’s degrees from University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and the Smith School of Business at Queen's University in Ontario.
“Now, I’m energized by the opportunity ahead with Staples Inc. The company is strong, with momentum across Retail, B2B, services, and brands like Staples, Staples Business, HiTouch, Quill and Staples Promotional Products,” Huckle said in the post. “I look forward to building on that success with my new colleagues—driving growth, deepening our impact in the communities we serve, and continuing to shape the future to make it Easy for our customers to be successful."
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education industries.
