How Carol Tomé Went From Retirement to Leading UPS — and Why Your Next Story May Still Be Ahead
What if your greatest professional chapter hasn’t happened yet?
After a remarkable 24-year career at The Home Depot, including serving as Chief Financial Officer, Carol Tomé retired in 2019.
She had built an extraordinary career. She had achieved financial success, earned respect as a business leader, and reached a point where many people would happily close the book on their professional lives.
But her story wasn’t finished.
In 2020, at age 63, Tomé stepped into one of the most challenging leadership positions in corporate America.
She became the first woman and first outsider to serve as CEO of UPS.
And she did it during a global pandemic.
The Courage to Begin Again
Imagine stepping into a new leadership role at 63, responsible for hundreds of thousands of employees, during one of the most uncertain economic periods in modern history.
Even with decades of experience, Tomé faced doubts about how employees would receive an outside leader.
But she accepted the challenge.
Her experience hadn’t expired.
Her leadership abilities hadn’t disappeared.
And her willingness to embrace something new opened the door to another extraordinary chapter.
Retirement Doesn’t Have to Mean the End of Your Story
Here’s what makes Carol’s journey so meaningful.
She didn’t need to prove she could succeed.
She had already done that.
But she was willing to discover what else was possible.
And that’s a lesson worth sharing with anyone considering a career change, business ownership, entrepreneurship, or simply a different direction in life.
Your experience is an asset. Your age is not an expiration date. And your next opportunity may look nothing like your last one.
What’s Your Next Story?
At AboutFranchising.org, we believe there’s no single pathway to professional fulfillment.
For some, the next chapter means becoming a business owner.
For others, it’s stepping into leadership, mentoring the next generation, exploring franchising, or pursuing a dream they’ve put off for years.
You don’t have to start over.
You can build on everything you’ve already learned.
Carol Tomé’s story reminds us that sometimes the most exciting opportunities arrive when we least expect them.
The question isn’t whether you’re too old, too experienced, or too established to make a change.
The question is: What could your next chapter become if you were willing to say yes?
We’d Love to Hear Your Story 💙
Have you ever made a major career change later in life?
Have you stepped away from a career only to discover a new opportunity?
Or is there something you’ve always wanted to pursue but haven’t taken that first step?
Share your experience. Your story may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
The RFRT Way 💙 — Educate. Connect. Inspire. Empower.
AboutFranchising.org
One Vision. Many Pathways. Endless Possibilities.