John Mahoney.

Growing up as the oldest of eight children in a very active family, John Mahoney says some of the most memorable moments of his life center on the accomplishments of others in his family--his brothers, sisters, parents, wife or children--all of whom have successes that he enjoys sharing.

Title: Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer/CFO

Company: Staples, Inc., retailer

Born: May 15, 1951

Spouse: Rose, married 30 years

Children: Michael, 27; Alison, 24; and Elizabeth, 14

Education: The College of the Holy Cross, 1969-73, A.B., English; Northeastern University, 1973-75, MBA 

Career: I began my career as a staff accountant at Ernst & Ernst in Boston, where I enjoyed spending about 20 years at [what became] Ernst & Young, including three years in the national office following the activities of the Securities and Exchange Commission. I joined Staples as CFO in 1996 and have added to my responsibilities.

FEI Chapter: Boston

Leisure: I find many activities enjoyable, including community activities, like the New England Province of Jesuits and local town government, as well as the golf club. Most of these are interests that our family has shared. We all love to play golf. I also enjoy running (have run two marathons), and I also run with my children. I come from a family of seven brothers and sisters, so many of our activities include sports, and I have become a mediocre participant in many family sports activities.

Time Management: Given the time required for all of us in financial jobs, particularly with the recent challenges of Sarbanes-Oxley and the greater attention from boards, time management is very important. I find that trying to do the most important things first is critical and most effective. I also try to manage time in relatively large blocks, allocating time within those blocks, including trying to make time for activities outside of my job.

Stress Management: There is nothing that relieves stress like physical activity, and I get that from running. Going on a nice hard run or sometimes a bike ride relieves stress and rejuvenates me.

Favorite book/s: I enjoy reading business books, but novels make up more of my reading. Perhaps my favorite book of all time is The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. Her philosophy and view of the world are very appealing. Recently, I've enjoyed John Adams' biography, because it keeps the life we lead in the 21st Century in perspective. Immediate communication via email and rapid travel via jet wasn't possible at the beginning of our country's history, yet they still seemed to get a lot done.

I would like to spend 1 hour with: President John F. Kennedy. While he may have had some personal failings, growing up admiring his vision, his courage and the energy with which he pursued his dreams--not only for himself and his family, but for the country--make him fascinating. Although he didn't get to accomplish everything he set out to do, he certainly set an agenda that created an awful lot of change in the world today.

What's the best advice you've ever received? To live in the present. We all have planning horizons and lots of priorities, but by trying to live in the present and directing our best effort towards whatever is facing us, gets the best results and often sets the table for our next set of challenges.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Favorite Job: My favorite job may have been caddying, as a teenager. I've always loved the game of golf, and being out on the course, involved in the game with someone else--and getting paid for it--was a wonderful way to spend summers.

Favorite Deal: My favorite deal was one of the smallest we've done at Staples. It was acquiring Spectrum Office Products, a small Rochester, N.Y., dealer. We had a wonderful team working on the project, both at Staples and at Spectrum, and there was a lot of attention to the details of the transaction, making it a successful deal. The combination of the great team and the well-planned execution of the entire deal and subsequent integration makes it memorable.

I am inspired by people who are able to look at the world and see what might be rather than what is. That is true in every part of life, whether it's people in community organizations that can move a community or a mission forward, or whether it's in business, where somebody like Staples' founder Tom Stemberg can see what could be by remaking a business and turning it into something new.

Email: [e-mail]

edited by Ellen M. Heffes