Staples has picked Steve Matyas, president of its Canadian operation, to head its North American retail division.
In his new role, he assumes much of the previous duties of former North American operations president Shira Goodman, who succeeded Ron Sargent last month as interim CEO.
The executive shuffles follow the No. 1 office supply chain’s ill-fated attempt to acquire No. 2 rival Office Depot, as it realigns itself for a go-it-alone future.
Maytas was the first employee at Staples Canada forerunner Business Depot, which he joined in 1991, and went on to serve as a VP with various responsibilities for sales, operations, store planning and human resources.
“Steve has over 25 years of deep experience leading Staples Canada, and a proven track record of delivering profitable growth and innovation,” Goodman said. “Realigning our retail leadership will strengthen our position as we continue to right-size our store network and evolve to meet the changing needs of business customers.”
The company plans to close 50 stores in North America this year, on top of the 73 shuttered in 2015.
