GERRY SMITH
CEO, OFFICE DEPOT, BOCA RATON
Smith, once a supply chain executive with Lenovo, became CEO of the office supply and services retailer in 2017. Office Depot is one of Florida’s 10 biggest public companies, with some 44,000 employees, about 1,300 stores and more than $11 billion in revenue. Smith has led the company toward supplying more services and a beefed-up online presence. In 2018, the company launched a community investment initiative called #depotdifference that enables employee volunteerism and philanthropic giving.
| EDUCATION | Pacific Lutheran University (BS) |
| SOMETHING SURPRISING | We spent 10 years in Singapore. Three of our four kids graduated from the Singapore American School. |
| ALTERNATE CAREER? | I would want to be a professional football coach. I’ve coached youth football in the past and got great joy in teaching. |
| PHILANTHROPIC PASSION | Start Proud! is Office Depot’s new back-to-school initiative created to give students, parents and teachers in low-income communities the supplies they need to start the school year. I’m also passionate about 4KIDS, a child welfare agency that serves kids and families in six counties across South Florida and the Treasure Coast. |