# Thomas G. Stemberg

> Thomas George Stemberg (1949-2015) was the American retail executive who co-founded Staples with Leo Kahn and led it as founding CEO. Drawing on supermarket experience, he helped develop the office-supply superstore, later invested in consumer businesses at Highland Capital Partners and supported Harvard basketball.

- **Role:** Retail entrepreneur, executive, investor and philanthropist
- **Organizations:** Staples, Jewel Companies, Star Market, First National Supermarkets, Highland Capital Partners, Highland Consumer Fund, Harvard Independent, Harvard Student Agencies, Friends of Harvard Basketball, Olly Shoes
- **From:** Newark, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** AB in physical science, Harvard College, MBA; George F. Baker Scholar, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded Staples and served as founding CEO from 1986 to 2002., Led Staples as it reached $3.1 billion in annual sales in 1995 and entered the Fortune 500 in 1996., Founded the Highland Consumer Fund.

## Career timeline

- **1971** — Graduated from Harvard College.
- **1973** — Earned Harvard MBA and began a supermarket career at Jewel.
- **1985** — Lost his supermarket executive job and developed the Staples concept.
- **1986** — First Staples store opened in Brighton, Boston, on May 1.
- **1996** — Staples entered the Fortune 500.
- **2002** — Ended his tenure as Staples CEO; remained chairman.
- **2005** — Left the Staples chairmanship and joined Highland Capital Partners.
- **2015** — Family endowed Harvard men’s basketball head coaching position; Stemberg died October 23.
- **2018** — Harvard basketball court dedicated in his name.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Staples and served as founding CEO from 1986 to 2002.
- Led Staples as it reached $3.1 billion in annual sales in 1995 and entered the Fortune 500 in 1996.
- Founded the Highland Consumer Fund.
- Graduated from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar.
- Family endowed Harvard men’s basketball head coaching position in 2015.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Harvard Business School’s 2026 Alumni Achievement Awards coverage includes Mitt Romney’s recollection of Stemberg advising him to focus on a colleague’s strengths.
- **2018-02** — Harvard dedicated its basketball court to Thomas G. Stemberg.

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/thomas-g-stemberg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-13