Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> November 6, 2002

David Vander Zanden – School Specialty Inc (schs)

DAVID J. VANDER ZANDEN joined School Specialty as President and Chief Operating Officer in March 1998. He became interim Chief Executive Officer in March 2002 following the unexpected death of Dan Spalding, the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Vander Zanden became President and Chief Executive Officer of School Specialty in September 2002. School Specialty is the largest and fastest-growing supplier of non-textbook educational products to educators in the United States offering over 80,000 products to more than 118,000 schools across the country. Sales for the fiscal year ending April 27, 2002, exceeded $767 million. From 1992 to March 1998, Mr. Vander Zanden served as CEO of Ariens Company, a manufacturer of outdoor lawn and garden equipment. Mr. Vander Zanden has been a director of School Specialty since completion of the spinoff from U.S. Office Products in June 1998 and serves on the board and executive committee of the National School Supply and Equipment Association. He has also served on the boards of several local organizations including the executive board for the Boy Scouts of America, Bay-Lakes Council, where he has served as overall program chairman for both the 'Friends of Scouting' and 'Scouting for Food' fundraising campaigns on more than one occasion. Profile
TWST: Could we start out with an update on School Specialty? What

has gone on over the past year or so?

Mr. Vander Zanden: School Specialty is an acquisitive company, so

we've had a couple of