ABOUT

Paul Gaffney is a change agent and transformation artist. He led profound transformations in technology, operations, and overall business results for several iconic American brands including The Home Depot, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s, Staples, Office Depot, and Charles Schwab. Paul has held roles including Chief Technology Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Supply Chain Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. Regardless of title, Paul focuses on a human-centered and values-driven approach to identifying and solving problems. His approach motivates team members to contribute to and achieve success in ways they previously thought impossible.

 

Paul has also been an early-stage executive at two start-ups: the initial CEO of Website Pros, now web.com, and the COO of Desktone, acquired by VMWare and the technology behind VMWare's Horizon DaaS. Paul was inducted into the Chief Information Officer Hall of Fame by CIO magazine in 2007. He has served as an independent director on the boards of PowerReviews, ExpertVoice, and TESSCO Technologies and he is an emeritus member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at St. Mary’s College in California.

 

He lives on Scraggy Neck in Cataumet, Massachusetts with his wife Kate and their two black labs, Nike and Cosmo. Paul earned his A.B. in Computer Science from Harvard College and has completed graduate coursework in Psychology at Harvard University. He is a 2009 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute as well as a member of and moderator for the Aspen Global Leadership Network and the Institute’s seminars program. Paul is an active boater and holds a US Coast Guard Captain’s license. He is also a licensed general class amateur radio operator with the call sign W9PJG.