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Jeff Baker to Retire from Rexel USA, Replacement Named

Brad Paulsen has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Rexel USA, effective April 18, 2022, succeeding Jeff Baker, who is retiring after 15 years with Rexel USA while remaining a member of its Board of Directors.

Paulsen joins Rexel from HD Supply, where he was most recently Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the Sales and Supply Chain teams, after holding several other senior positions. Prior to that, he spent nine years with Home Depot in leadership and merchandising roles. Paulsen holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Military Academy – West Point, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Vanderbilt University.

Baker has accepted to remain on the Board of Directors of Rexel USA as non-executive Vice-Chairman. This will ensure a smooth transition and will allow the organization to continue to benefit from his extensive knowledge of the industry and its players.

Rexel USA had 2021 sales of 3.9 billion euros ($4.2 billion U.S. dollars). It has 446 branches and employs 6,700 people. The company recently announced the closing of the acquisition of Mayer, a major distributor of electrical products and services in the Eastern part of the USA, further building up its presence in the world’s leading market for electrical supplies.

Guillaume Texier, Chief Executive Officer of Rexel, said: “I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Jeff for his outstanding contribution to Rexel. Under his leadership, Rexel USA has become a front runner in the electrical distribution space, transforming into a multi-channel, data-driven provider of customized services and solutions. I am very pleased to welcome Brad to Rexel. He is a proven leader who will help take our performance to the next level, for the benefit of our customers and suppliers. Brad’s deep understanding of digital, supply chain, and marketing will be particularly valuable to the organization. Together with the Rexel USA management team and our 6,700 associates, we will strive to continue our growth trajectory, with big ambitions, as demonstrated by the acquisition of Mayer in 2021.”