The CEO of Staples is stepping down after the company's failed merger with Office Depot

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Ron Sargent, CEO of office-supply giant Staples, has agreed to step down from his position, according to a release from the company.

The move comes a little more than two weeks after the company was forced to scrap its proposed merger with rival Office Depot because of pushback from regulators.

"He also worked diligently on the acquisition of Office Depot and the Board appreciates the strong effort he made to secure governmental approval," said Robert E. Sulentic, lead director of Staples' board, in a release. "With the termination of the merger, we mutually agreed that now is the right time to transition to new management to lead Staples through its next phase of growth."

Antitrust concerns led to an injunction by a federal judge, causing the firms to toss out the merger on May 11.

"It has been an incredible honor to have worked with the talented and dedicated team at Staples for the past 27 years through a dynamic and ground-breaking time for the Company, our customers and the retail industry overall," said Sargent in the release.

He continued: "I want to sincerely thank our associates and partners, every one of whom helped to deliver value for our customers."

Shira Goodman, president of North American operations, will replace Sargent as interim CEO.

The stock is unchanged in after-hours trading following the announcement.

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