Depot/Max merger overcomes another hurdle
Office Depot, Inc, the US-based global provider of office supplies, has today announced that the Company and its largest shareholder, Starboard Value LP (together with its affiliates, "Starboard"), have reached a settlement agreement ahead of the Company's upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders on August 21, 2013.
As part of the settlement agreement, Starboard nominees Cynthia Jamison, Jeffrey Smith, and Joseph Vassalluzzo have agreed to join the Office Depot Board and will be appointed to the Board upon the resignations of Directors Marsha J. Evans and W. Scott Hedrick the day after the Company's annual meeting.
Office Depot will expand the Board from ten to eleven directors to accommodate the additional director. Following the appointment of the new directors, the Board will select a new non-executive lead director. In addition, upon his appointment to the Board, Mr. Vassalluzzo will join the CEO Selection Committee in the search process for the CEO of the combined company. He will replace Ms. Evans. If the merger with OfficeMax is completed, Office Depot will include both Mr. Smith and Mr. Vassalluzzo as continuing directors.
Starboard has agreed to withdraw its proxy solicitation and has committed to vote the White proxy card in support of Office Depot's director nominees.
Neil Austrian, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot, says: "We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Starboard which we believe is in the best interests of all our shareholders. The resolution will allow us to continue our progress and momentum in our proposed merger with OfficeMax. Integration planning and the CEO search are already well underway and the merger is on track to close on or before year-end."