Former President at NetApp, Tom Mendoza: Sustaining Urgency and Injecting Tension

Tom Mendoza, former President at NetApp, knows that there is a way to do business while bringing out the good in it. Tom has embedded this throughout his career and continues to make it a philosophical and practical focus. While Tom’s incredible journey may speak for itself, we take a deeper look at his core leadership values, how it has inspired his generosity and resilience, and the impact it continues to have on others.

In this episode, Tom discusses his humble beginnings in Long Island during the post-WWII era and the namesake for the Mendoza Business School and scholarship program. He expounds on important quotes that he still lives by, and why trust is critical when building a successful company. Tom also shares insight on his massive success at NetApp and how he grew the company from zero to a billion.

In this episode, we cover: 

• Tom’s childhood, beginning with his parent’s journey to Long Island, NY after World War II, and his first job as an usher at a movie theater. (03:06)
• “Bring out the good in business”: Tom shares the touching story behind his Notre Dame scholarship program and the Mendoza Business School. (07:11)
• How the phrase, “catch someone doing something right” came about - and a deep dive into Tom’s core leadership mantra. (14:53)
• A look back on the day Tom played a round of golf with Tiger Woods with Warren Buffett as his caddy. (27:01)
• NetApp–from zero to a billion: How Tom leveraged his passion for building companies to accelerate NetApp’s outstanding revenue growth - and the effect of the dotcom bubble on NetApp and its impact on company culture. (32:38)
• Why Tom almost retired from NetApp before accepting the role as President - and how NetApp encourages employees to give back to the world. (47:46)
• Tom’s perspective on customer trust and support, and why companies without a sustained sense of urgency fail. (56:43)
• How Tom combats complacency through injecting tension. (01:08:47)

Links:

• Connect with Tom
  • LinkedIn
  • NetApp
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  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: [email protected] 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins