Carol Tomé

Carol B. Tomé
Born	Carol Louise Buchenroth 8 1, 1957
Birthplace	Jackson, Wyoming, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	CEO of United Parcel Service (UPS)
Education	University of Wyoming (BA) University of Denver (MBA)
Spouse(s)	Ramon Tomé
Awards	Forbes Power Women list; Forbes 50 Over 50; Georgia Trustee (2024)
Website	[https://about.ups.com/us/en/our-company/leadership/carol-b-tome.html Official site]

'Carol B. Tomé (née Carol Louise Buchenroth; born January 8, 1957) is an American business executive serving as the chief executive officer of United Parcel Service (UPS), a position she has held since June 2020. Before assuming leadership of UPS, Tomé served as the chief financial officer of The Home Depot for nearly a quarter century, from 1995 to 2019, helping to steer the home improvement retailer through periods of significant growth and transformation. Her appointment as CEO of UPS was notable as she became the first person from outside the company's ranks to lead the 117-year-old package delivery giant in its history. Tomé had served on the UPS board of directors since 2003, giving her extensive familiarity with the company prior to becoming its chief executive. She has been recognized among the most influential women in American business, appearing on the Forbes Power Women list, where she was ranked number 26 in 2025, and Fortunes Most Powerful Women ranking.

Early Life

Carol Louise Buchenroth was born on January 8, 1957, in Jackson, Wyoming. She grew up in Wyoming, a background that would later inform her straightforward and pragmatic approach to business leadership. In interviews, Tomé has spoken about her upbringing and early influences that shaped her career trajectory in finance and corporate management.

Details about her parents and family life during her formative years in Wyoming remain limited in public records, though her roots in the rural American West distinguished her from many of her peers in the upper echelons of corporate America. Her path from Jackson, Wyoming, to the executive suites of two of America's largest corporations represents a notable trajectory in American business.

Education

Tomé attended the University of Wyoming, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She later pursued graduate studies at the University of Denver, where she obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Her educational background in business provided the foundation for a career focused on corporate finance and, ultimately, executive leadership at two of the largest companies in the United States.

Career

Early Career

Before joining The Home Depot, Tomé built her career in corporate finance across several companies. Her professional experience included work at various corporations where she developed expertise in financial management and strategy. Among her early career positions, Tomé was associated with Riverwood International Corporation, a packaging company that later merged with Graphic Packaging in 2003. These positions gave her extensive experience in corporate financial operations and strategic planning that would prove central to her subsequent roles.

The Home Depot (1995–2019)

Tomé joined The Home Depot in 1995 and rose to the position of chief financial officer (CFO), a role she held for approximately 24 years until her retirement from the company in 2019. As CFO, she was responsible for overseeing the financial strategy and operations of one of the world's largest home improvement retailers, which during her tenure grew to generate revenues well in excess of $100 billion annually.

During her time at The Home Depot, Tomé was recognized as one of the most effective chief financial officers in corporate America. The Wall Street Journal identified her among the top CFOs in the country. Her financial stewardship helped guide the company through multiple economic cycles, including the Great Recession of 2007–2009, which had a particularly significant impact on the housing and home improvement sectors.

Tomé's leadership at The Home Depot extended beyond traditional CFO responsibilities. She was known for her emphasis on team-oriented management and her role in shaping the company's broader corporate strategy. She played a central role in capital allocation decisions, including share buyback programs and dividend policies that returned significant value to shareholders during her tenure.

In 2008, Forbes included Tomé on its list of the most powerful women in business, reflecting her standing as one of the most prominent female executives in the United States at the time.

Tomé announced her retirement from The Home Depot in April 2019, concluding a tenure that had made her one of the longest-serving CFOs at a major American corporation. Her departure from The Home Depot set the stage for her next chapter in corporate leadership.

UPS Board Service (2003–2020)

While still serving as CFO of The Home Depot, Tomé was appointed to the board of directors of United Parcel Service in 2003. Her service on the UPS board for more than 16 years gave her deep insight into the company's operations, strategic challenges, and corporate culture. This extended board tenure would prove significant when the company turned to her to assume the top leadership role.

During her time on the board, Tomé worked alongside other prominent directors, including Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor who joined the UPS board and whom Tomé later described as "a trusted advisor and colleague" when Warsh was nominated to serve as Federal Reserve Chair.

CEO of UPS (2020–present)

On March 12, 2020, UPS announced that Tomé would succeed David Abney as chief executive officer, effective June 2020. The appointment made Tomé the first outsider—someone who had not risen through UPS's internal management ranks—to lead the company in its more than century-long history. Although she was technically an outsider in terms of operational experience, her 17 years of board service meant she was well acquainted with the company's inner workings.

Tomé has described her decision to accept the CEO role in personal terms. In an interview with SaportaReport, she stated, "This was my calling," reflecting the sense of purpose she felt in taking on the challenge of leading UPS through a period of significant transformation in the logistics industry.

Tomé assumed the CEO position during a period of unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which dramatically accelerated the growth of e-commerce and placed enormous demands on package delivery networks. UPS played a critical role in the delivery of essential goods and later in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, operations that occurred under Tomé's leadership.

Strategic Direction

Under Tomé's leadership, UPS has pursued a strategy focused on improving profitability and revenue quality rather than simply increasing package volume. A central element of this approach has involved reassessing the company's relationship with major customers, including Amazon, which had become one of UPS's largest clients but at relatively low margins. Reporting by Bloomberg in February 2026 described Tomé's plan for the company as involving "more than Amazon deliveries," noting the strategic shift toward reducing dependence on Amazon's business in favor of higher-margin customers and services.

In the company's third quarter 2025 earnings announcement, Tomé emphasized what UPS described as "two major shifts the company will leverage for growth," signaling continued strategic evolution under her stewardship.

Labor Relations

Tomé's tenure as CEO has been marked by significant interactions with UPS's unionized workforce, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. UPS employs hundreds of thousands of Teamster members, making its labor relationship one of the most consequential in American industry.

In 2023, UPS and the Teamsters negotiated a new contract after a period of intense public bargaining that included the threat of a nationwide strike. The negotiations and their outcome drew significant public attention to the relationship between UPS management and its workforce.

Relations between Tomé and the Teamsters rank-and-file have at times been contentious. In August 2025, a surprise visit by Tomé to a UPS facility in Plainfield, Indiana, was met with a demonstration by members of Teamsters Local 135, who organized a parking lot protest during her visit.

In early 2026, the Teamsters for a Democratic Union reported that the International Union was "taking legal action to block a UPS buyout that management is trying to use to reduce the number of Teamster jobs," a development that highlighted ongoing tensions between the company's strategic objectives under Tomé and the interests of its unionized workers.

Stock and Investor Confidence

In August 2025, Tomé purchased approximately $1 million of UPS stock during a period of share price decline, a move reported by Barron's as a signal of confidence in the company's direction. UPS Board Chair William Johnson also purchased shares around the same time.

However, reporting by Bloomberg in February 2026 noted that the company's road ahead had become "less certain" due to various strategic missteps, suggesting that Tomé's leadership has faced scrutiny from investors and analysts regarding the company's performance trajectory.

Business Roundtable Membership

Tomé is a member of the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of major U.S. companies that engages on public policy issues.

Personal Life

Carol Tomé is married to Ramon Tomé. The couple has been based in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, a region that is home to both The Home Depot's and UPS's corporate headquarters. Tomé's long residency in Atlanta during her decades at The Home Depot and subsequently at UPS has made her a prominent figure in the city's business community.

Tomé has been profiled as part of the "Atlanta 5x5" series by Women at the Frontier, which highlighted her role as a leading business figure in the city.

Recognition

Throughout her career, Tomé has received numerous honors and accolades recognizing her contributions to business and corporate leadership.

Forbes Power Women

Tomé has been a recurring presence on the Forbes Power Women list, which ranks the most influential women in the world. In 2025, she was ranked number 26 on the list. She was also included on the Forbes Power Women list in 2008 during her tenure as CFO of The Home Depot.

Fortune Most Powerful Women

Fortune magazine has included Tomé on its annual Most Powerful Women ranking, reflecting her standing as one of the most prominent female executives in American business.

Forbes 50 Over 50

Tomé was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, which recognizes leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs, and creators over the age of 50 who have achieved significant accomplishments.

Georgia Trustee

In 2024, Tomé was named a Georgia Trustee, an honor bestowed by the Georgia Historical Society and the Office of the Governor of Georgia. The award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments and service reflect the highest ideals of the founding of the colony of Georgia in 1733. Tomé shared the 2024 honor with Dr. Louis Sullivan.

Wall Street Journal Recognition

The Wall Street Journal recognized Tomé among the top CFOs in corporate America during her tenure at The Home Depot, underscoring her reputation in corporate finance.

Legacy

Carol Tomé's career spans two of the most prominent companies in American business—The Home Depot and UPS—and her leadership roles at both institutions have placed her among the most notable female executives in the United States. Her nearly quarter-century as CFO of The Home Depot established her as one of the longest-serving and most recognized chief financial officers in corporate America.

Her appointment as CEO of UPS in 2020 broke with the company's longstanding tradition of promoting leaders from within its own ranks, a decision that signaled UPS's recognition that the rapidly evolving logistics industry required fresh strategic perspectives. As the first outside CEO in UPS's history, Tomé's tenure represents a significant chapter in the company's corporate governance.

Tomé's career trajectory—from Jackson, Wyoming, through finance roles to the executive suites of two Fortune 500 companies—has made her a frequently cited example in discussions about women in corporate leadership. Her sustained presence on rankings such as the Forbes Power Women list and Fortune's Most Powerful Women reflects her enduring influence in American business.

As of 2026, Tomé continues to lead UPS through a period of strategic transformation in the global logistics industry, navigating challenges that include shifting customer dynamics, labor relations, and evolving e-commerce patterns.