Kathy Sutter: Creating a Balanced Toolkit for Learning

Name: Kathy Sutter

Title: Vice President, Leadership Development and Global Learning

Company: Office Depot

Successes:

• Developed and implemented leadership development curriculum that spans the needs of front-line management through executives.
• Partnered with the CEO and executive team to define the core leadership competencies that underpin all aspects of performance management.
• Focused on driving cultural change to differentiate performance by instituting a new talent review process to assess the talent base, raise the bar, identify strengths and gaps, and execute rigorous development plans.
• Employed a customized 360-degree feedback instrument for leaders to increase self-awareness and self-management toward inspirational leadership.
• Implemented C.O.N.N.E.C.T., a mentor/protege program, to encourage a pipeline of diverse talent to senior leadership positions.
• Leveraged multiple e-learning solutions and an LMS to provide information and skills training for improved performance in a highly distributed organization.

Learning Philosophy: "Engaging high-quality talent and building a compelling place to work is paramount to our success at Office Depot. Developing worldwide talent is a fundamental strategy that will fuel our ability to attract and retain exceptional people. Our developmental experiences are intended to impact the whole person - providing expanded thinking and thought-provoking concepts. Our responsibility is to give our employees the learning, tools and skills they need to maximize their performance and potential to help build a compelling place to work, shop and invest."

Office Depot offers endless rows of colorful pens, folders and gadgets designed to make working easier, more organized and efficient. A former schoolteacher for grades 4-8, Kathy Sutter, vice president of leadership development and global learning for Office Depot, has firsthand experience with the tools of teaching. It's only right that since Office Depot is virtually a one-stop shop for all supply needs, she implement a few new tools to help create an organization with a holistic view of learning and development that trickles down from the top VPs and front-line managers to the cashiers who greet you at the checkout line.