Veteran operations executive brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across retail, healthcare, foodservice, and distribution

WESTCHESTER, Ill., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Follett Higher Education, a leading educational service provider and the largest campus retailer in North America, today announced Roger Francis as its new Chief of Stores. Roger brings more than 25 years of executive experience leading transformation across retail, healthcare, foodservice, and distribution.

As Chief of Stores, Roger will lead the teams that operate Follett’s 1,000+ retail locations, focusing on creating exceptional customer experiences for the students, faculty, fans, and alumni Follett serves through its partnerships with campuses across the US and Canada.

Roger succeeds Stephen Bone, who recently announced his retirement as Chief of Stores after four years with Follett, where his leadership and commitment to campus partners strengthened the organization and positioned it for continued growth.

“I want to thank Stephen for his tremendous contributions to Follett and the impact he has made on our organization,” said Emmanuel Kolady, Chief Executive Officer of Follett Higher Education. “As we look ahead, Roger is an accomplished operational leader who understands how to translate strategy into execution while keeping people and customers at the center of the work. His experience leading complex organizations, developing strong teams, and driving meaningful transformation will be an important asset as we continue to grow our retail organization and deliver greater value for our campus partners.”

Throughout his career, Roger has held senior executive roles with organizations including Sysco, National Vision, and CVS Health, leading operations across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. His experience spans large-scale field operations, organizational transformation, performance management, team development, and turning business strategy into measurable results.

“I’m excited to join Follett and work alongside a team that is so deeply connected to students and campus communities,” said Roger. “We have an incredible opportunity to continue innovating how we support students and deliver a superior experience across every stage of the academic journey. I look forward to building on Follett’s strong foundation, listening to our campus partners, and finding new ways to make the campus store experience even more valuable for students.”

Roger joins Follett as the company continues to grow its retail organization and invest in the campus store experience. With more than 1,000 physical and online collegiate retail stores across North America, Follett works with colleges and universities to provide course materials, learning tools, officially licensed collegiate merchandise, and retail experiences that support students throughout the academic journey.

For more information about Follett, visit Follett.com.

About Follett Higher Education

Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer serving more than 1,000 colleges and universities across North America. Follett partners with institutions to deliver course materials, learning tools, and retail experiences that support student success and celebrate the communities it serves.

Media Contact: media@follett.com

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SOURCE Follett Higher Education Group LLC