Tom Stemberg
Thomas Stemberg at one of the first Staples stores
Born	Thomas George Stemberg (1949-01-18)January 18, 1949 Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	October 23, 2015(2015-10-23) (aged 66) Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	Harvard University ( BA, MBA)
Known for	Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Staples Inc.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Maureen Sullivan (divorced) Dola Hamilton (divorced) Katherine Chapman O’Gara

Thomas George Stemberg (January 18, 1949 – October 23, 2015) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was a pioneer of the office supplies superstore industry, most notably for founding office supply retail chain Staples Inc. with Leo Kahn. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Early life and education

Stemberg was born on January 18, 1949, in Orange, New Jersey, ^[4] the son of immigrants from Vienna, Austria, Erika (née Ratzer) and Oscar Michael Stemberg. ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} His father was a lawyer who became a restaurateur. ^[8] His father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic. ^{[9] [10]}

At Harvard College, he headed on managerial roles at Harvard Student Agencies, a hands-on organization of campus businesses, and the Harvard Independent, a newly established student newspaper. ^[8] In 1973, Stemberg graduated from the Harvard Business School receiving his M.B.A. as a George F. Baker Scholar. ^[3]

Career

He started his career with the Jewel Company's Star Markets where he became the vice president for the company's sales and merchandising division. ^[11]

In 1986, Stemberg started Staples with backing from private equity firms, including Hambro International Ventures, Harvard Management, Bessemer Ventures, Adler & Company, and Bain Capital; ^[12] Bain co-founder Mitt Romney served on the company's board of directors for the next 15 years. ^[13] By 1999, Staples had worldwide sales of over US$7 billion, with more than one thousand superstores, mail order catalogs, e-commerce outlets, and a contract business. ^[12]

In 2005, Stemberg joined Highland Capital Partners, a venture capital firm, in Lexington, Massachusetts, as managing general partner. ^[14]

Stemberg had an estimated net worth of $202 million, he was a philanthropist who donated funds in areas pertaining to education. ^[15]

Stemberg, a political supporter of Mitt Romney since Romney ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994, spoke on Romney's behalf at the 2012 Republican National Convention. ^[13] Stemberg encouraged Romney to make healthcare more accessible, which led Romney to reform healthcare in the commonwealth. ^[16]

Personal life

In 2012, Stemberg was involved in a legal dispute with his first wife, Maureen Sullivan. ^{[17] [18]}

Stemberg died on October 23, 2015, from gastric cancer. He was 66 years old. ^{[19] [20]}

References