Birks to join retailer in next few months
Office products retailer Staples has appointed Peter Birks as managing director of its UK retail business.

Birks will take up his position in the next few months and report to Staples European Retail president Theo van Brandenburg.

Brandenburg said: 'Peter brings a wealth of experience of the office products industry to our UK retail business. Through his extensive industry knowledge and strong leadership skills, I know that Peter will successfully drive our business growth in the years to come.'

Birks was most recently vice-president and managing director of Office Depot UK, where he played a key role in launching and growing the company's contract business. He previously worked in various executive positions with Acco, Lyreco and 3M.

Staples is the world's largest office products company, with businesses in 21 countries throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Sales reached US$18.2 billion (£9.44 billion) last year.