Office Depot Israel CEO Details His Path From Police Work to Retail Turnarounds
Office Depot Israel CEO discusses his journey from undercover police work and accounting to executing corporate turnarounds, scaling the retail chain to 33 branches and over 100 million shekels in annual revenue.
Office Depot Israel CEO shares his professional journey, from his upbringing in Afula and undercover police work to turning around troubled companies and leading the office supply chain to new heights.
Born and raised in Afula, the 47-year-old married father of four currently resides in Modi'in. His parents immigrated from Bukhara in 1973 shortly before the Yom Kippur War. His father served as a combat ambulance driver and was injured, later working for some 30 years at Tnuva as a manager at the Tel Yosef dairy. His mother owned a hair salon. Growing up, his parents instilled in them a strong work ethic and accountability without excuses.
Early Ambitions and Police Service
In his youth, he excelled in exact sciences, completing 5 units in mathematics, physics, computer science, and English, while dreaming of a professional basketball career. However, standing at 1.70 meters and facing a back injury, he realized the gap between dream and reality. Despite a lowered profile due to his injury, he insisted on meaningful military service and chose to serve in the Israel Police in Migdal HaEmek, handling patrol, undercover surveillance, and investigations, where he frequently worked inside local clubs.
He later earned an accounting degree in the first graduating class at Ono Academic College under Professor Yaron Zelecha, whom he describes as a tough lecturer. After graduation, he worked for four years at the accounting firm EY, rising from junior to manager. In 2008, he moved to Kardan Israel, working as an assistant controller and advancing to CFO of the communications and technology division.
Turnaround Specialist at Avis and Office Depot
In 2016, he joined Avis as CFO to lead a financial turnaround for the company, which was publicly traded and losing close to 100 million shekels. Within two years, the company returned to profitability, and in 2018 it began posting profits, leading to his promotion to VP of Procurement and Sales, managing some 200 employees and sales volumes of roughly 2 billion shekels annually.
When the group acquired Office Depot from Rany Zim, he was called upon to execute a similar corporate recovery. Today, Office Depot Israel operates 33 branches spanning from Ma'alot to Eilat, employing 280 workers with annual revenues exceeding 100 million shekels. Over the past year, the company achieved a 10% cumulative increase in total sales compared to the previous year, expanding its offerings beyond traditional office supplies and computers to include household appliances, electronics, and major consumer brands.
