CFO of Staples to Talk About Journey from English Classes to Head of International Company

When John J. Mahoney graduated from Holy Cross in 1973 with his English major, he hadn’t a clue about what was next.

“The early ’70s was a pretty interesting time in American history,” he says. “My friends and I graduated with no idea of what we were going to do. I wanted to try a couple of different things, and even thought about being a ski bum while I figured it out.”

So?

“Well, that idea didn’t appeal to my parents.”

For someone who didn’t have a particularly strong interest in leaping into the business world, Mahoney’s position today as vice chairman and CFO of the world’s largest office-products company might raise eyebrows.

It has been an exciting journey, Mahoney says. And reflecting on his career today, he believes his liberal arts education was a major asset and continues to supply resources and skills he needs to excel at his job.

Mahoney, an executive at Staples since 1996 and prior to that a partner at Ernst & Young, will discuss his career Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. in Hogan Suites B and C, fourth floor of the Hogan Campus Center. His talk, free and open to the public, is part of the Ciocca Entrepreneurial Business Seminars, sponsored by the Holy Cross prebusiness program.

In advance of his visit back to alma mater, he spoke about the value of a liberal arts education in the business world — and the responsibilities and challenges of his work at Staples. What does a liberal arts education bring to business today, especially in this global economy?

First of all, because the world changes at such a rapid pace today, a liberal arts college like Holy Cross offers the best preparation for a career in business. A liberal arts education teaches you how to think and adapt and look ahead. It teaches you to read, write, communicate verbally, and really understand different patterns — whether they’re in math, science, history or psychology.

You come from a Holy Cross family.

My father graduated in 1944; my son Michael in 2000. Michael worked at EMC for two years, went to Harvard Business School, and is now at Rockport Co., which is a division of Reebok International. Staples’ most recent annual report has extensive information about “Staples Soul”; about building diversity and your commitment to ethical business practices. Can you talk about that?

This has been a very interesting time for Staples. When the company launched 20 years ago, we were a relatively small entrepreneurial venture — just trying to survive. It seemed like all of sudden, we grew to a size that surprised even us. When that happened, NGOs came to us, pointing out the impact we were having on paper production around the world.

It was a shock to us; and we spent a great deal of time looking at the issues. It was the start of us recognizing the importance of sustainable practices. It began with the environment, and then grew into an examination of our practices from a people perspective and a community perspective.

And that’s where your commitment to diversity comes in?

Yes, our goal is to have a great workforce and make the company a place people are proud to work for; to have stores that people in the community want to shop in. We want a workforce that reflects the diversity of the markets in which we operate.

By inventing the office superstore concept back in 1986, Staples began life with an entrepreneurial spirit. Has that spirit continued?

Definitely. And that’s an inspiring part of our work. Our teams are constantly developing innovative products. They work hard to understand the problems and challenges facing small businesses. Solving these problems with product development is really fun — and keeps that entrepreneurial spirit alive. We had great success — and great fun with — the Department of Unexpected Gifts this holiday season. It was a terrific promotion.

Staples serves consumers and businesses ranging from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in 21 countries throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Part of your job responsibility involves global strategic planning and business development. We’re moving strategically and carefully in overseas markets. There’s still a great deal of growth potential in the U.S. What is exciting right now is that we’re one of the top five e-commerce sites in the world. We’ve gone from $0 to $4.5 billion in just six years. That’s been an incredible experience.