Exhibit 17
| Mr. Steve Odland | Mr. Neil Austrian | |
| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Lead Director | |
| Office Depot, Inc. | Office Depot, Inc. | |
| 6600 North Military Trail | ||
| Boca Raton, Florida 33496-2434 |
Dear Steve and Neil
It is with regret that I hereby resign from the Office Depot Board of Directors, effective December 31, 2008. Due to personal reasons related to a series of family health issues, I have decided to step down from the Board.
It has been a pleasure serving with such a high caliber group of Directors and I wish everyone all the best.
Sincerely,
| /s/ Abelardo E. Bru |
| Abelardo E. Bru |