She started as cashier at Home Depot, now she’s Executive VP managing over 2,000 stores for the retailer

Ann-Marie Campbell is the Executive Vice President of Home Depot. The Jamaican-born woman started her career at the home improvement company in 1985. Since then, she has successfully risen through the ranks and now manages some “2,200 stores and 400,000-plus employees for the $340 billion home supply superstar,” according to Forbes.

In addition to her role as the Executive Vice President of the U.S. stores, Campbell runs Home Depot’s international operations, running supply chain and merchandising for stores in Mexico and Canada. Starting her career at Home Depot as a cashier in South Florida, Campbell was appointed to her current position in 2020, which saw her base salary hit $850,000, up from $769,231 in 2019.

According to Bizjournal, “her annual incentive target under the company’s management incentive plan will remain at 100% of base salary. She is also being granted an award of restricted shares having a value of $250,000 and an award of stock options having a value of $250,000.”

The 36-year-old’s venture in the retail business dates back to her days in Jamaica when she worked in her grandmother’s small furniture store. While working for her grandmother, she picked up the valuable trait of being friendly, which has aided her in her career.

At Home Depot, Campbell served in various positions, including store manager, district manager, and regional vice president, according to the company’s website. Also, she served as vice president of operations, vice president of merchandising and special orders, vice president of retail marketing and sales for Home Depot Direct, vice president of vendor services, and president of the Southern Division.

In 2020, Fortune Magazine featured Campbell as the 16th most powerful woman. According to Fortune, she helped lead Home Depot’s $1.3 billion investment in COVID-related benefits, including expanding paid time off and weekly bonuses.

Campbell attributes her success to the “fundamental aspects” of her life growing up in Jamaica and going to Holy Childhood High School. According to her, the structural discipline was very helpful.

Nonetheless, the road to the top has not been smooth sailing for the Jamaican businesswoman. Her gender and her status as an immigrant were some of the challenges she had to overcome. Campbell said her passion for what she does propel her to succeed despite the obstacles. 

“Your career is like a road – you’re going to have speed bumps, you’re going to have potholes, and I certainly had many of those throughout my career,” she said.

Campbell is a graduate of Georgia State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in business administration. In her role as Executive Vice President for Home Depot, she spends about two to three days each week “walking stores, receiving feedback, and discussing growth opportunities with frontline associates and store leaders,” according to AACSB.