THE ASSERTIVE & COURAGEOUS LEADER

Sharon Price John, 57, was appointed to the Board of Directors on June 3, 2013, in connection with her employment as Chief Executive Officer and Chief President Bear of the Company. Effective March 2016, she now holds the title of President and Chief Executive Officer.

From January 2010 through May 2013, Sharon served as President of Stride Rite Children’s Group LLC, a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc., which designs and markets footwear for children. From 2002 through 2009, she held positions of broadened portfolio and increased responsibility at Hasbro, Inc., a multinational toy and board game company, including as General Manager & Senior Vice President of its U.S. Toy Division from 2006 to 2008 and General Manager & Senior Vice President of its Global Preschool unit from June 2008 through 2009.

Sharon also founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Checkerboard Toys, served as Vice President, U.S. Toy Division with VTech Industries, Inc., and served in a range of roles at Mattel, Inc. She started her career in advertising, overseeing accounts such as Hershey’s and the Snickers/M&M Mars business. Sharon serves on the Board of Directors of Jack in the Box Inc., a publicly traded restaurant company.

She learned her first lessons in retail from her grandmother in Jamaica, who owned a small furniture store and had a reputation for friendly, top-notch customer service. "I learnt the importance of serving others and having an entrepreneurial spirit. My grandma constantly reminded me to be 'always thinking ahead,' work hard and never give up," recalls Ann-Marie.

However, there was one instance where Ann-Marie wanted to give up. She had come back from maternity leave with her second son and wanted to quit the job. The news reached her then boss, Lynn Martineau who flew in and surprised Ann-Marie in the parking lot. "I had bad numbers, bad shrinks [returns], and every Monday on the company conference call, I was being pounded on everything. And I had two kids under 4," she explains. Lynn patiently heard and told her that she was being promoted to to district manager, with 13 stores under her leadership. "I was completely overwhelmed," she says. Lynn had observed Ann-Marie's assertive talent and recognized her good instincts and simply wanted to put her where she can grow. Back then the company was still young and growing fast and it was people like Ann-Marie who made the difference.

Living Home Depot’s values is a passion for Ann-Marie. She is an active Team Depot volunteer, working side by side with other associates to give back to local communities. She serves as the board chair of The Homer Fund, a charity that supports Home Depot associates facing unexpected financial hardship. She is also on the board of the Georgia Aquarium and Workday.

Ann-Marie is a graduate of Georgia State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in business administration. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society and the National Scholars Honor Society.

After more than 35 years with the company, Ann-Marie brings a deep understanding of The Home Depot’s operations, culture and customers. From championing change and diversity to showing confidence in others to empowering others to succeed, Ann-Marie embodies traits that make a bold leader.

Sharon Price John

Chief Executive Officer, Build-A-Bear Workshop