Transforming Business with Pioneering Technology
By: Riley Newton and AnneMarie Hunter
In April 2022, Fahim Siddiqui (M.S.C.S. ’93) was named executive vice president and chief information officer of The Home Depot — the world’s largest home improvement retailer.
Siddiqui joined the company in 2018 after more than 30 years in software development with some of the biggest players in the retail and telecom industries. He initially joined the company as the senior vice president of information technology, where he focused on the development of applications and solutions for online and other technologies.
“This is the best place I’ve ever worked, and it’s likely the only place I’ll ever work again,” Siddiqui said. “Our values have everything to do with taking care of each other, building strong relationships and doing the right thing. Those values resonate with me and how I live my life.”
In his new role, Siddiqui oversees technology systems operations for the more than 2,300 retail stores, supply chain facilities, store support centers and online systems. He also sits on the UMKC Alumni Association Board and in 2007 was awarded the School of Computing and Engineering* Alumni Achievement Award.
But before all of that, Siddiqui was a master’s student at UMKC, where he studied computer science in the newly founded department of technology and computing. Prior to coming to UMKC, he completed his undergraduate degree in computer engineering at Iowa State University. Siddiqui had moved to the United States from Pakistan following high school.
“While there [at Iowa State], I had a summer internship with Sprint, which was United Telecom at the time. After graduation, I was hired full time,” Siddiqui said. “It was an interesting time because this was when digital computers and technology were entering the telecommunications marketplace.”
During his years at Sprint, he began taking classes at UMKC on the advice of United Telecom’s CTO.
“I took my sweet time going through the program, but every time I learned something new and brought it back to work, it helped me with whatever I was doing,” Siddiqui said. “It was so relevant to what I did every day.”
Siddiqui believes mentorship was also a major benefit at UMKC.
“Mentors really made my career happen,” he said.
Siddiqui also believes the unique knowledge he gained at UMKC helped him move up the corporate ladder quickly.
“I went from an entry-level engineer to senior engineer in four years.”
Shortly after graduating from UMKC, Siddiqui left Sprint to join Time Warner as the chief information officer, as the organization was beginning to launch cable on top of telecommunication services.
Since then, he has held various software, technology and leadership roles at Vidyo, K2 Software, MCI and Staples. Siddiqui is also an entrepreneur and holds five U.S. patents in cybersecurity and data management.
He served as the chief product officer and executive vice president of Intralinks, a global technology provider that allows content sharing of important or confidential documents between markets and organizations.
While there, he led the scaling of the company. This initiative resulted in a market valuation of over $1.5 billion when the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange.
“To go to the New York Stock Exchange and take a company public with your management team was an outstanding accomplishment for me,” Siddiqui said.
“Our values [at The Home Depot] have everything to do with taking care of each other, building strong relationships and doing the right thing. Those values resonate with me and how I live my life.”
" Building relationships and paying it forward, starting right now, is how you succeed. No one ever succeeds by themselves. Whether you’re a researcher or a company executive – no one gets anywhere on their own. "
— Fahim Siddiqui
“UMKC was a catalyst for my family and me to achieve our life goals. When we were ready to give back, our foremost thought was supporting UMKC.”
Siddiqui said what drew him to The Home Depot was the company's focus on the importance of technology within a retail space.
“In my career in telecom, we know that technology is the company. In retail, sometimes technology is viewed as something needed but maybe less important. The Home Depot is a leader in how they view the importance of technology in the retail space,” Siddiqui said. “They’ve had the foresight to use technology for a competitive edge.”
Siddiqui recognizes that technology is not only vitally important for success in the retail space but is integral to advancing progress across all economic sectors. In support of that vision, he has pledged $250,000 to establish the Dr. Mohammad Sami Scholarship in honor of his late father. The scholarship provides students the opportunity to attend UMKC’s School of Science and Engineering.
“UMKC was a catalyst for my family and me to achieve our life goals. When we were ready to give back, our foremost thought was supporting UMKC,” he said.
Siddiqui is optimistic that supporting students will create a legacy of achievement and giving back.
“We are hoping the scholarship recipients will pay it forward,” Siddiqui says. “Our goal is to encourage a virtuous cycle of giving.”
For students or young alumni looking to follow in his impressive career footsteps, Siddiqui says the most important advice he can offer is to "find your own path."
“You’ll find your own path, but you must have the confidence to get there,” Siddiqui said. “You have to put in the effort, but if you invest in yourself and do the hard work, it will happen.”
He always encourages everyone to follow The Home Depot’s key values.
“Building relationships and paying it forward, starting right now, is how you succeed. No one ever succeeds by themselves. Whether you’re a researcher or a company executive – no one gets anywhere on their own.”
Photo Credits: Images Submitted by Fahim Siddiqui
*As a result of the UMKC Forward academic realignment, the School of Computing and Engineering is now part of the School of Science and Engineering.