Work Hacks: Hewlett-Packard exec Todd DeCapua

Todd DeCapua describes himself as a leader with passion and purpose.
DeCapua, a Wilmington native, has a bachelor of science in business from the University of Delaware and an MBA, concentration in finance, from Wilmington University.
He currently works for Hewlett-Packard as Senior Product Marketing Manager and as Ambassador for Innovation with HP software.
DeCapua, a single dad, also focuses much of his attention on raising two young daughters. As part of our “How I Work” series, DeCapua explains how he strikes a work-life balance.

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What’s the first thing you do every day before doing any job-related work?
As a single dad with two elementary-school age daughters, getting my children to school is a priority. Each morning starts with a homemade breakfast and lots of love.
How often do you check your email, and do you use any program to get to ‘Inbox Zero’?
In the technology industry, we work 24x7x365. I check my email and voicemail around the clock, every day. There is no such thing as getting your Inbox to Zero. I receive over 500 business-related emails a day. I focus on the top three priorities of the day, and deliver.
When you need to take a break, what are you turning to?
Outdoors. I am a Wildlife Conservationist who works closely with the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the State of Delaware.
What’s your gear?
Always in high gear! HP EliteBook 840 and Apple MacBook Pro. Tablets are both Android (Asus, Nexus, HP) and Apple iPad 1. Phone is HTC Android.
What’s one way in which you believe your day-to-day work is better now than it has been?
I am unique in my field in that I have been at all sides of the consultant-corporation-startup-vendor table.
Before I joined HP, I was VP of Channels/Technology Integrations/Services for Shunra Software, a Philadelphia startup acquired by HP. Before Shunra, I was the customer. I was Shunra’s largest customer champion at ING Direct. Prior to that, consulting in Big 5 and boutique.
As a result, I know what it means to walk in the shoes of the customer. I’ve been there. I understand how thirsty our customers are for information, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing my knowledge and real-world experience with our customers at HP. There’s a bond and a relationship of trust that I have with our customers because I come from their world, and enable them to deliver high value results.
Is there something you do now (or don’t do) that you didn’t do before (or did) that has made a big difference?
Yes. Because I travel extensively and have a global role(s), I am able to work remotely, from home, when I am not traveling. This enables me to be there for my children 24×7 when I am not traveling.
Anything else?
I am about to release my first book, The Value-Driven Enterprise: A Business Executive and Leader’s Guide to Building Practical Business Strategies and Leveraging Technology to Deliver Quality Results to the Customer, Quickly.
I am interested in joining the boards of innovative companies where I can add significant value, and exploring opportunities in prestigious higher education to contribute in Innovation and Technology.