http://www.wsj.com/articles/staples-ceo-ron-sargent-to-step-down-1464727423
"Mr. Sargent made frugality a hallmark of Staples’ culture. He used to provide reports to his top-level executives naming workers who had splurged on overnight shipping or were ticketed for parking in the wrong spot at the company’s headquarters, according to former executives."
I started at Staples in 1999 . There was no better place to work. I believed the people up the ladder did care. Then Ron appeared, arranged the ousting of Sternberg off the board. In 2001, each associate was asked if they would like a more flexiible work week, 35 hours. All benefits would be based on 35 hours. Or you could stay at 40 hours and you benefits be based on 40 hours a week. I opted to stay at 40 hours. Ron discovers this in 2006 or 2007. He says that this document signed by each fulltime associate who kept 40 hours was only for one year. Of course, Nowhere on this document was it stated that it was for one year. The man was smart. He k–led the culture of the company and walked away with tens of millions of dollars.
I was one of the thousands let go in the supply chain last year when the powers-that-be thought it would be a good idea to outsource all the delivery operations to a bunch of bumbling inept third party couriers. I can only imagine the astronomical amount of sales lost due to large customers no longer receiving the service they were accustomed to. That decision alone showed me that "A Great Place to Work" was a complete joke along with the buffoons at the top who ran Staples into the ground. Good riddance Ron. You're a pathetic loser who couldn't manage your way out of a paper bag.
Power trippers always the weak. It's all they can do to appease themselves as small people. Rampant in this company at the management level on up.
I concur with lots of the stuff said. I was in the office for ten years. Left on my own accord. I had higher level job. Lots of reports. Ron walked the office the same day the inventory team had an outing. It was a Friday. Summer. Late in the day. He started calling the admins to find out where everyone was. He also on that same Trek around the building saw someone on Facebook and proceeded to bash the associate to the manager. The irony was this was the social media person. These are true stories. Ron also never be walked the office unless he was looking for stuff. If you saw him walking the floors u knew sh-- would hit the fan. I was at the meeting where he bitched about the people coming in at ten. The details behind that? It was when the parking garage was being built at the home office. It was winter and people had to park across rt 9 and be shuttled and the shuttle was not frequent or reliable. So yeah that was another one that was amazing. Let's see what else? Friday's were casual before the relaxed dress code. I had to fill in at the lasts minute at an operating review. I had jeans and a button down on before that was the norm. I was the low ranking man at the meeting and also by age was considerably younger than the rest. He asked Demos if we had officially chanded our dress code to jeans as he looked at me. Some people laughed most just put there heads down. I had 6 Svp or higher executive pull me aside after and apologize as they all knew the circumstances of me being a last second invite so I obviously had no time to plan. Total demoralizing sh-- that this person put the office and company through. I could go on and on
No kidding he is a fool.
Man... I don't miss this crap.
No Foster home....More like a remarriage and the step dad (RS) molested the baby. Baby is now full grown and has serious head problems.
Tom Stemberg told all after he stepped down, TAKE CARE of MY BABY, his baby was placed in an foster home by the BOD and RS. Now his baby is 30 and soon to be homeless.
Harvard should revoke Ron's degrees. He is an embarrassment. Except for the part of fleecing a company for 14 years , destroying it and walking away with millions for doing so. But maybe that's the example Harvard wants to project, get rich, it doesn't matter how good you actually are.
All the stuff he focused on was stupid, it basically equates to a GM doing the work of a sales associate 40 hours a week. They may be working, but they are not doing the job they were hired for. If that petty sh-- was so important to him, fine, then delegate someone to follow up on it. There are plenty of redundant execs to choose from, pick one and have them play hall monitor / parking patrol.
I will give Shira the benefit of the doubt, for now. She is an insider, but the latest culling of the corporate ranks has somewhat appeased people. Whomever they bring in really needs to be on a pay for performance plan. Low base salary with focus on high bonus potential IF goals are met, not to be achieved through layoffs. This is of course assuming the board actually wants to try to save the company.
If so, the corp culture needs drastic improvement. Pushing Otis out to the west was a good start (sorry west coast). Give him 6 months then phase him out at the end of the FY. Same with some of his pet RVPs. Get rid of these venomous bastards. There are Zero Shyts Given among most store staff now days. Some have busted their asses for the last 6 years and gotten nothing but screwed over six ways from Sunday. Harassed, fired for trivial things, salaries and bonuses cut, and absolutely no appreciation from the top. Time to fix this if they even want a chance at salvaging the company.
Most of what is being said here is just more confirmation of what an idiot these people are that run this company. Such a pathetic story.
In a company meeting he once complained that he saw several employees walking in at 10AM and thus that we needed to get our "mojo" back. This in a building that holds 4000 people. There are a couple people walking in at ANY hour of the day, and most likely those 10AM people had appointments, worked late, or have another valid excuse that doesn't include a lack of mojo.
He was completely incapable of understanding what metrics to focus on. The parking ticket thing was real, also installing turnstyles to see when folks arrived and left. His obsession with trivial details like attendance and parking were great examples of a total lack of vision while Europe languished, eCommerce went astray, stores became jokes, and the culture went down the toilet. Hasta la Vista Ron!
Frugal is a word that Ron would throw around just to make himself look good. He did own a Toyota Camry late model, when he really owned a Benz, really Ron. He use to have security park in a spot in the front of building, and when he arrived they would pull out so he could pull in it to be closer. I can remember him saying that he parked his car just like everyone else in the building, WRONG. He also wasted his time on looking at the speeding violation report from the speed limit sign on the driveway, can't he spend his time doing something better, like run the dam company so people do not have to get laid off. How about that corporate jet that no one seems to know that Staples has, and the limo service that would pick him up to take him to that jet. He has quite a second home on Martha Vineyard, being frugal yeah right. Just think that if he gave up his income for 2 years, the company would save millions and they could plow that money back through the payroll accounts, and not lay off anyone else. He is due to get substantial amount for leaving Staples, where is the justification in that, when hard working individuals that have been at Staples for 15 plus years, only get 16 week severance pay, which is not the industry standard. Can you stay cheap, oh its going to Ron's severance package. Poor Tom Stemberg must be rolling over in his grave, god bless him, he cared about people.
$250 million paid to Office Depot, massive executive bonuses paid in spite of miserable sales results... Yeah, really frugal.
No matter which way you put it, Ron Sargent walks away a disgraced CEO. THIS COMPANY IS A FAILURE BECAUSE HE IS A FAILURE!
The more I learn about this guy the more I'm disgusted by him. He is a completely incompetent executive who stumbled his way into this position and focused on all the wrong things. Thus destroying a good company and providing a negative impact to It's staff and customers. The only winner here is his wallet.