Staples selects Coke exec as new CEO

Courtesy/Coca Cola Former Coca-Cola executive Sandy Douglas will replace Shira Goodman as Staples' CEO.

File photo Shira Goodman

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By Zachary Comeau

Coca-Cola executive Alexander Douglas will replace Shira Goodman as CEO of Framingham office retailer Staples, who departed the company last Friday less than a year after the company went private following its $7-billion acquisition by New York-based Sycamore Partners.

Douglas, who goes by the name Sandy, was the executive vice president of Atlanta soft drink maker Coca-Cola Co. and former president of Coca-Cola North America, the company announced Friday afternoon.

Douglas will begin as CEO effective April 2. John Lederer, Staples’ executive chairman, will lead the company during the two-month transition.

The official announcement included no remarks from Goodman herself or mention of her time with the company.

Stales spokesman Mark Cautela later confirmed Goodman left the company Friday after 26 years, saying she played a critical role in the company’s evolution.

“We are immensely grateful for the contributions she has made to Staples over the last 26 years, and she departs having led this organization with the highest level of integrity,” Cautela said.

During Douglas’ 30 years with Coca Cola, he served as stints the company’s global chief customer officer and other roles in sales and marketing.

He began his career at the Procter & Gamble Company in sales and sales management positions.

“Together with the company’s leadership and its associates, we will work to drive the business forward as we continue to deliver exceptional products, service and expertise to Staples’ customers,” Douglas said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of Goodman's departure on Friday morning, citing a letter to employees informing them Goodman’s last day would be Friday and a new CEO would be named shortly.

Goodman, who is in her mid 50s, first joined Staples in 1992. She became president and CEO in September 2016.

The deal to go private came as Staples has struggled to keep up with consumer shopping habits and online shopping giants like Amazon. Staples lost $615 million in 2016, when it closed 48 stores, after a failed merger with its rival Office Depot. It planned a closure of another 70 stores in 2017.

In the midst of those closures, Staples also sold its European division to Cerberus Capital for a $117-million loss.

Staples has joined retailers Coldwater Creek, Hot Topic, Nine West, Talbots and The Limited under Sycamore ownership, as the private equity firm has placed a bet on retail during a challenging time for the industry. Experts told the Worcester Business Journal last fall that going private won't necessarily save Staples, and could lead to even more store closures.