Sarah Farnsworth

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How did you make the leap from Washington, D.C., to the Padres in San Diego? Tom Garfinkel, CEO of the Padres, asked me if I would consider working for a baseball team. I thought it was a joke. I didn’t know anything about baseball. After 19 years in D.C. I wanted the opportunity to become a part of a community, and that is what I saw in San Diego. It’s an opportunity for me to give back.

You are engaged to marry a retired Marine, and you have a young daughter. What role did they play in your decision to join the Padres? It was a family decision. We decided together. I was working in a job that really wasn’t a career. With the Padres I have a career where I can be challenged, and I am part of a civic asset. Since my fiancé is retired, he plays a big role in my daughter’s care when I have work demands.

How did you get involved in politics? I was living in New York when the Democratic National Convention was held there; 22 years old and just out of college, I volunteered at the convention. From there I was assigned to do advance for Hillary Clinton during Bill’s first run for president. That was 1992. When Bill won the presidency, I was asked to work on the inauguration in 1993. From there I went to work on the First Lady’s staff in the East Wing. I was responsible for planning all events in the Rose Garden, the South Lawn, and basically anything in the White House. And the Clintons were very active, with many events going on!

Tell me about your time in the White House. I worked seven and a half years and left to marry, but returned for the last six months at the end of the Clinton term. I celebrated my 30th birthday at the second Clinton inauguration.

Where did you work when you left the White House? I was chief of staff at the USO and traveled frequently to Afghanistan and Iraq. I was working in the world headquarters for then-General Jim Jones, who later became President Obama’s national security advisor. President Obama asked me to become senior advisor to the national security advisor, so that put me working in the West Wing of the White House. When General Jones resigned in 2010, I was asked to work in the Pentagon.

You spent so much time working for presidents in both wings of the White House. How did you keep your feet on the ground? I never thought of it as politics, but as being part of an historical institution. There was a plaque on the wall in the White House that I passed by every day. The bottom line was “one day you will be on the other side of the iron gate.” That puts it in perspective.

What challenges have you faced? After being to Iraq and Afghanistan, challenges take on a different meaning. As long as my family is healthy, I don’t have any bad days.

What adjustments did you have to make when you joined the Padres? I have had to earn trust and credibility in a whole new profession, I had to learn baseball, and I have had to earn trust in the community.

What is in your future? I’m here with the San Diego Padres as long as they will keep me.

The post Spotlight on Women: Sarah Farnsworth appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Anesa Chaibi

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What is your background? I grew up in Weirton, West Virginia, and received a full scholarship to West Virginia University, where I received a bachelor of science in chemical engineering and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Where did you begin your career? In 1989 I was on the GE Chemical and Materials Leadership Program. I held roles in increasing responsibility in manufacturing, operations, production, marketing, and corporate initiatives. I joined Home Depot and then HD Supply in 2005. I also worked for CSC Index as a strategic management consultant.

What was your inspiration? A man I had worked with during my 16 years at GE called me in 2005 and told me about an opportunity at Home Depot. The rest, as they say, is history!

How have you helped others? I began making transformational changes within the company when I arrived in 2005. I created Women’s Network here, which is now a nationwide program. We have had a program that included me and three VIPs on how to juggle life. We have speakers from charitable organizations, leadership speakers—it is open to all employees, not just women. It is all about building confidence, which prepares for advancement and growth.

What is the female/male ratio of your staff? My executive staff is 50/50. We have around 4,600 employees, 1,000 of whom are in San Diego, and the remainder are nationwide and some in Canada. There are 14,000 employed corporate-wide by HD Supply, which is owned by three private equities.

How much time do you spend traveling? About 50 percent minimum; I have a three-year-old son and a wonderfully supportive husband. I juggle life to do my best—balance that is not always a balance. However, I am present with whatever I am doing. If it is work, it is work; if it is with my child or husband, I am always present.

When you joined the company, it was a subsidiary of Home Depot. What has changed since that time in 2005? We had a record-setting year in 2005 at $840 million and will finish this year exceeding $2 billion. This year we acquired Peachtree Business Products, which has been a complementary add-on to our multifamily vertical.

What has been your biggest challenge? Keeping everyone calm while we were integrating and divesting, because employees were concerned about their future.

HD Supply is a bit under the radar; however, you have an incredible record of giving back and paying it forward. What is your focus? We are under the radar because we are business-to-business. I support the universities where I went to school and serve on the board of Helping Hands Fund, an internal organization to support needs of our employees. We have donated $2.3 million of product to various organizations. We just raised $445,000 for City of Hope with our vendors at our annual golf tournament. I always work with people who have reached out to me to try to help them identify what they like, what they want to do, but also what they don’t like. Ultimately people have to be happy.

What would people like to know about you? I work hard, play hard, but I really want people to know that I am a very caring individual. I love adventure travel with my husband, and yes, I am driven. I am always pushing and striving to do better. I think I am a teacher to others because I lend my experience and give people the opportunity to learn and grow.

What advice were you given? My father told me that I could do anything through hard work, dedication, and focus. I never thought I would end up running a $2 billion company.

What is in the future? Continue to grow the business and to prepare the company to go public.

The post Spotlight on Women: Anesa Chaibi appeared first on San Diego Magazine.