Ray A. Griffith Email Address

Retired President and Chief Executive Officer Follett Corporation and Ace Hardware Corporation

For more than 140 years, Follett has been a trusted partner to pre-K and K-12 schools, districts, and college campuses, taking care of the critical details that make it easier for schools to run, teachers to teach and students to learn. Every day, Follett serves over half of the students in the United States, and works with 70,000 schools as a leading provider of education technology, services and print and digital content.

I began my business career with Household Finance, managing Osco Drug stores in Illinois and Indiana. After leaving Household Finance in 1978, I joined Coast to Coast, a predecessor to what today is known as True Value, as a store manager in Ohio. Following 15 years with the company, I was appointed President and CEO in 1993. After leaving Coast to Coast, I served in multiple roles over 18 years at Ace Hardware Corporation, including Director Retail Operations, Western Division, Vice President-Retail Development/Marketing, Vice President-Merchandising, Executive Vice President-Retail, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and President and Chief Operating Officer. I was named Ace Hardware Corporation President and CEO in April 2005, overseeing 4,400 stores in all 50 states and across 62 countries. I am currently Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ace International holdings and a former Director of Leggett & Platt, a NYSE corporation. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, I serve on the Board of Directors for the Southern Illinois University Foundation and on the University’s Dean’s External Advisory Board for the College of Business.