Mr. Sargent served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Staples, Inc., the world’s largest office supply company, from 2002-2016 and 2005-2017, respectively. Mr. Sargent joined Staples in 1989 and spent 28 years in various senior leadership positions, including President, Chief Operating Officer, President of North American Operations, and President of Staples Contract and Commercial. Mr. Sargent led the launch of Staples’ online delivery business in 1991, which now represents over 60% of company sales, and is one of the five largest online businesses in North America.
Prior to joining Staples, Mr. Sargent spent 10 years at The Kroger Co., where he served in a variety of roles in Store Operations, Human Resources, Strategic Planning, and Sales and Marketing.
Mr. Sargent currently serves on the Board of Directors of Wells Fargo, The Kroger Co., and Five Below. He has also served on the Boards of Staples, Inc., Home Depot, Mattel, Aramark, and Yankee Candle, and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Board of Trustees of Northeastern University.
Mr. Sargent holds an BA from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.