DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

OfficeMax Inc. (OMX) named the former financial chief of Circuit City Stores Inc. (CCTYQ) as its chief financial officer as the No. 3 office-supply retailer looks to turn around its struggling operations.

Along with the rest of the retail sector, OfficeMax saw sales drop last year amid weaker consumer spending. In the past two months, the company has announced job cuts, suspended its dividend, and said it doesn't expect net new retail-store growth in 2009 and will delay its store-remodeling program until economic conditions improved.

The company said Bruce H. Besanko will become executive vice president and chief financial officer effective Feb. 16. He was also previously financial chief at specialty retailer Yankee Candle Co. and vice president of finance at Best Buy Co. (BBY) from 2002 to 2005.

Shares were flat in after-hours trading at $6.02 and are off 69% over the past year.

-By Lauren Pollock, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5964; lauren.pollock@dowjones.com

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