Avis turned a loss into a profit of over 100 million. Now he is leading a turnaround at a new company
Haim Aharonov, CEO of Office Depot, tells in an interview how he led a turnaround at car rental company Avis, turning a loss of nearly 100 million shekels into a profit of over 100 million shekels a year, and now he is leading a similar recovery at office supply chain Office Depot, with 33 branches, 280 employees and a 10% increase in sales.
Haim Aharonov, CEO of Office Depot, tells Globes in an interview about the turnaround he led at car rental company Avis, which turned a loss of nearly 100 million shekels into a profit of over 100 million shekels a year, and about his new challenge - leading a similar recovery at office supply chain Office Depot, which was acquired by the Avis group from Rani Zim. Aharonov, 47, married and father of four, describes his career path: from accounting at EY, through positions at the Kardan Israel group, to management at Avis. According to him, Office Depot today is a "hybrid" that sells not only office supplies but also electrical appliances, Ninjas, Dyson and iPhones. The company employs 280 workers, with revenues of over 100 million shekels a year and a 10% increase in sales in the past year. It has 33 branches across the country, and competes against a dominant player in the market (Kravitz).