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When you’re an executive at a big box corporation, you might wake feeling a bit paranoid. Or at least that’s the case for Home Depot CFO Carol Tomé, according to CNBC.
Tomé has been employed with The Home Depot for 21 years, serving as chief financial officer for 15 years. She’s earned a spot of CNBC’s Global CFO Council and was ranked No. 2 on The Wall Street Journal’s list of best CFOs in corporate America in 2012. Tomé has also been named one of Forbes’ “50 Most Powerful Women in Business.”
“Every morning we get up paranoid, getting ready to fight that competitor,” Tomé says.
And she has plans to make sure Home Depot comes to the fight prepared. Her tactics are simple.
Invest in Delivery
While some large retailers are investing in online order pickup to compete with Amazon, Tomé plans to increase Home Depot delivery for bulky items like cement, lumber and roofing, according to CNBC.
Focus on Employees
“I am really blessed in that I have an amazing team,” Tomè says. “These are men and women who are so doggone smart, and they provide me with a lot of information. And then I have my thinkers out touching everybody. I talk to everyone in the industry, experts, and bring in their research to help us formulate a point of view.”
Stay True to Core Values
At a recent alumni event at the University of Denver, Tomé reflected on the company’s belief system. At the event, she stated that Home Depot’s culture and values are what sets it apart and drives success.
Tomé explained that the company uses an inverted pyramid model where the associates are at the top, free to focus on customer service, while Home Depot executives are at the bottom, “bearing the weight” of large actions and decisions.
According to Tomé, the company’s values have resulted in a tightknit community within the company.
“If you cut us, we bleed orange,” she says.
