Office Depot Appoints Lenovo Executive Smith as New CEO

Florida-based office-supply superstore chain Office Depot reports that its Gerry P. Smith, a long-time senior executive at PC-maker Lenovo, as CEO, effective February 27, 2017. Smith will succeed current CEO Roland Smith, who previously announced that’ll he retire from the company.

Smith currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Lenovo Group, a $45 billion leading global technology company. During his time at Lenovo, he’s said to have been “instrumental in defining and leading the company’s ambitious growth objectives.”

“On behalf of the Board, I’m pleased that we recruited a leader with Gerry’s broad skill set to lead Office Depot at this important time in the company’s history,” commented Warren Bryant, lead director of the board of directors, and chair of the CEO Search Committee. “Gerry possesses significant operating expertise, having successfully led business units across Lenovo’s entire product portfolio, including an industry recognized supply chain organization. His long-standing relationships with some of Office Depot’s largest suppliers will enable him to quickly transition into the role. Additionally, we are impressed with Gerry’s demonstrated ability to lead large, complex organizations.”

Smith will also join the Office Depot Board as a director.

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