Workshop with Judith
with Judith Davis at Home Depot
Meeting #16 in the series
There is a fundamental disconnect between Home Depot leadership's stated priority of growing the Home Services division and the actual allocation of resources (headcount, engineering, marketing budget) which continues to favor the established Pro division. This creates organizational tension that undermines Home Services' ability to execute on its $5B growth target.
Central narrative for the C-suite, leadership says Home Services but resources go to Pro
The central strategy team has been effectively excluded from Home Services strategic work, which is being handled by divisional leadership. This is an open secret: Michael Torres stated it directly, and Judith's surprise suggested she didn't realize how visible the dynamic was. The sidelining means Home Services misses out on cross-divisional strategic analysis and data the central team possesses.
Incorporating Michael's strategy team data as a bridge opportunity in the presentation
The Home Services division's strategic direction, executive sponsorship, and organizational momentum are heavily concentrated in Judith Davis. If Judith were to leave, burn out, or lose political capital, the entire Home Services growth initiative could stall. There is no clear second-in-command or strategic backup.
Addressing succession risk as part of the organizational investment case
Home improvement spending has flattened post-pandemic, yet Home Depot is setting aggressive growth targets. The gap between market reality and internal expectations creates pressure that flows down to divisional teams, particularly Home Services which is expected to be the new growth engine in a challenging macro environment.
Framing Home Services as the growth engine despite macro headwinds
