Bruce Besanko
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Administrative Officer
OfficeMax, Inc.  

 

A seasoned global financial executive, Bruce Besanko joined OfficeMax, Inc. in 2009 to serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; he was later given the additional role of Chief Administrative Officer. In these roles he oversees the company's global financial and administrative activities including controllership, tax, treasury, analysis, investor relations, strategy, corporate development, procurement, compensation, internal audit, loss prevention, and financial operations. OfficeMax, Inc., with revenue of approximately $8 billion, is a global supplier of office supplies and services with operations in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Before joining OfficeMax, Mr. Besanko served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Circuit City Stores, Inc from 2007 to 2009. With financial responsibility for a global organization with revenues of more than $14 billion and 43,000 employees, he oversaw the strategy, controllership, treasury, tax, investor relations, loss prevention, internal audit, planning, corporate development, and corporate administrative functions including pricing, credit, procurement, communications, and public affairs for the Company. Previously, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Yankee Candle Company, Inc. responsible for finance, accounting and information technology; and Vice President, Finance and Controller for Best Buy, Inc. Prior to those appointments, Mr. Besanko served in increasingly responsible leadership roles within Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Atlantic Richfield Co.

A frequent panelist and speaker on matters relating to strategy, governance and finance in the retail and consumer sector, Mr. Besanko has served on the Finance Executive's Council of the National Retail Federation and has been featured in business periodicals including Forbes magazine and Harvard Business Review. He has also appeared on National Public Radio regarding the Sarbanes-Oxley Act ("SOX"). Mr. Besanko is a current member of the Chicago area "CFO Select", an organization of principal financial officers from leading Chicago-area large public companies. He also serves on the Governing Body of the CFO Executive Summit. He has served on the boards of directors for Mass Mentoring; United Way of Western Massachusetts; and Minnesota Mentoring.

In addition to his financial experience, Mr. Besanko has served in the United States Air Force for more than 25 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, first on active duty and then later in the Reserves and Air National Guard. He has served as Lead Navigator, Instructor Navigator and Mission Commander, and has over 3,500 flying hours in the MC-130 and C-130 aircraft. Among many distinguished service medals and awards, in 2003 LTC Besanko received the Air Medal for numerous aerial combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Mr. Besanko received his Master of Business Administration in Finance and Strategy from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Mr. Besanko is married to Elaine and has two daughters, Chloe and Katie.