Face to Face with Dick Gochnauer President and CEO of United Stationers

摘要

It's been a busy couple of years for Dick Gochnauer. After joining United Stationers as its COO in 3002 and subsequently becoming its president and CEO the following year, Gochnauer has spearheaded an effort that's brought major change to the industry's largest wholesaler in several key areas. In the following interview, he discusses those changes and offers his perspective on some of the key issues currently facing the industry and independent dealers in particular. OD: You joined United in 2,002, after spending most of your career outside the industry. What have been the biggest surprises over the past two years? The biggest surprise for me has been the similarities between the office products business and the previous businesses I was in. My previous company, Golden State Foods, had McDonalds as one of its largest customers, and to be successful, we had to focus on operational excellence and delivering exceptional value and quality at the lowest cost. I don't suppose it's any big surprise but those same requirements are just as important in the office products industry.