Roland Smith

Joe Keenan is the executive editor of Total Retail. Joe has more than 10 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.

No. 2 U.S. office supply retailer Office Depot Inc. named Roland Smith, the former head of the U.S. unit of supermarkets operator Delhaize Group, as its new chief executive on Tuesday, hoping to tap his expertise in integrating and turning around businesses. Smith orchestrated the successful integration of the major supermarket chains owned by Delhaize, and improved profits by arranging the sale of three of them. Smith also played a key role in combining restaurant chain Wendy's with Arby's. 

Office Depot Inc. (ODP), which completed a merger with OfficeMax Inc. last week, named Roland Smith as chief executive officer and chairman of the newly formed office-supply chain. Smith most...

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