Staples adds interesting new board members

Regardless of the final outcome of its acquisition of Office Depot, Staples just nominated three individuals to its board of directors with unique perspectives on growth.



Curtis Feeny, managing director of Voyager Capital, Deb Henretta, former group president of global e-commerce at Procter & Gamble and John Lundgren, chairman and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, have been nominated by the Staples board of directors for election at the company’s 2016 annual meeting.



“Curtis, Deb, and John each bring fresh perspectives and a wealth of diverse experiences, and we are excited to welcome them to our board,” said Vijay Vishwanath, chair of Staples’ Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.



The nominations come as Staples hopes to prevail in a dispute with the Federal Trade Commission that would allow its effort to acquire Office Depot to move forward.



Feeny has been managing director of Voyager Capital since January 2000. In 2001, he was appointed by president George W. Bush to the board of directors of the Presidio Trust, where he served until 2006. From 1992 through 1999, Feeny served as executive VP of Stanford Management Co., which manages the Stanford University endowment.



Henretta currently serves as senior advisor to SSA & Company, an executive strategy consulting firm. She spent 30 years at Procter & Gamble. In 2005, Henretta was appointed president of the company’s business in ASEAN, Australia and India. She was appointed group president, Procter & Gamble Asia in 2007, group president of the company’s global beauty sector in June 2013, and group president of Procter & Gamble E-Business in February 2015. Henretta retired from Procter & Gamble in June 2015.



Lundgren is chairman and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., the successor entity following the merger of The Stanley Works and Black and Decker in March 2010. Prior to the merger, he served as chairman and CEO The Stanley Works, a worldwide supplier of consumer products, industrial tools and security solutions for professional, industrial and consumer use. Prior to joining The Stanley Works in 2004, Lundgren served as president of European consumer products for Georgia Pacific Corporation and also held various positions in finance, manufacturing, corporate development and strategic planning with Georgia Pacific and its predecessor companies.



Leaving the Staples board after extensive runs will be Rowland Moriarty and Basil Anderson. Both plan to retire after serving on the Staples board for 30 and 19 years, respectively. Board member Raul Vazquez will not stand for reelection, according to the company.



“I’d like to thank Row, Basil, and Raul for their commitment and many contributions to Staples,” said Ron Sargent, chairman and CEO, Staples, Inc. “With over 50 years of combined service on our board, their dedication and expertise has been invaluable.”