Voices of Experience: Christine Komola, Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance for Staples
By Liz O’Donnell (Boston)
Christine Komola spent a recent Thursday morning at the dentist with her daughter. “But I missed her last appointment,” she says. Komola, Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance for Staples, says you need to be “very, very organized” to manage work/life balance. “I like to be spontaneous” she says, “but I learned I have to be deliberate in what I do. I am very scheduled and I pre-plan. Scheduling was a learned behavior for me.” Komola considers herself to be lucky. She enjoys what she does and who she works with and she counts on her business associates and even her clients to help her manage the demands of work and life. In fact, she credits flexible bosses and a strong team with her ability to navigate the demands of work and life. “The world is so virtual, it’s unbelievable,” she says referring to the non-stop demands of working for an international organization. “The computer, the Blackberry and the cell phone are always on.”
Komola has been with Staples since 1997. Prior to that, she worked for Ernst & Young. “I loved it there,” she says. “I got experience with a variety of clients. Staples was a client back then and I saw people growing with the company.” As a junior-level employee at Ernst & Young, Komola quickly learned the value of asking questions. “Pretty early on I realized you need to acknowledge that you don’t know the intricate details (on every project). Now I believe the more you ask questions and seek information, the better.”
Komola has had a variety of roles at Staples. She started in accounting, was CFO of the dotcom practice, and General Manager of the furniture business. “It was a crazy path but an amazing experience,” she says. She just completed an acquisition and now she’s hosting a series of “town hall” meetings with her CFO. When asked what she wants to do next, Komola replies, “Every time I ask that of myself, something happens. Every year is a different challenge. I really enjoy what I’m doing now. Staples is a company that leads people in a lot of different directions. I’m not bored yet.”
Although not part of her official duties, mentoring is very important to Komola. She sees it as one of her top priorities. “In my role, becoming a mentor just happened over time; it happened organically.” One of her proudest accomplishments was watching two member of her finance team move into leadership roles at the company. “A career in finance is a great lead into broader roles in an organization.” And in order to succeed in finance, she says, you need to have an analytical mind. An up-to-date Outlook calendar goes a long way too.
