What they say about H-E-B
being a company with
many careers is true!

Congratulations on your recent promotion to Chief Operating Officer! When you started, did you ever expect to be the COO?
Thank you…and no! My H-E-B story started thirty-five years ago when I was fresh out of college and lucky enough to have several job offers, including one from H-E-B, which happened to be the lowest paying offer!  

Thankfully when making the decision of where to start my career journey, I had a wonderful professor who took the time to walk through the pros and cons of each company I was considering. It was during our conversations that he introduced the idea of “company culture” (something I’d never heard of), so I began exploring each opportunity further.

At that time, part of the interview process included store tours. So, while touring one of our stores with Laura Estes (who recently retired from H-E-B this year), I asked her for her opinion on the best way to really get to know a company. Her response resonated deeply with me. She said, “pay closer attention to the people who actually do the work on the front lines than what leaders tell you.” During that tour, I spoke with our checkers and overnight stockers, and none of them had a single negative thing to say about H-E-B. They spoke of working hard, of course, but also of genuine satisfaction in their work.

So, did that experience alone convince you to choose H-E-B?
Honestly, that initial experience left quite an impression on me, but I still found myself grappling with the idea of starting out with a salary that was $6,000 less per year than the other offer. In 1988, $6000 was a significant difference, especially coming from a modest background. That’s when my professor said something that changed my perspective. He told me not to worry about the starting salary because it wouldn’t define my entire career. He pointed out that the other company I was interviewing with wouldn’t allow me to meet with their employees – which was a really good point!

And so, 35 years ago, I chose H-E-B. It was a leap of faith, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

We’re certainly glad you chose H-E-B! What did your career path look like once you got here?
What they say about H-E-B being a company with many careers is true. When I reflect on my early career, it’s amazing to see how many different roles I’ve had the privilege of serving in. Five years after I started as a Store Management Trainee, I became Top Store Leader of the San Marcos store after being a service director, assistant store director and store director in Austin stores.

H-E-B provided me with incredible opportunities to grow and expand my skillset over the course of these three-and-a-half decades. After moving on from my role as Top Store Leader, I became a District Manager responsible for overseeing 17 Austin stores. I also served as the Director of Selling and Advertising, managed our Photo Lab business for a period of time, and held positions such as VP of Drug and Beauty, and Senior Vice President of General Merchandise, Drug and Beauty. I was honored and privileged to be involved in the development of our Plus! store format, then leading our store planning process along with our talented Store Design, Construction, Facility Procurement and Maintenance teams and our merchant organization. In 2008, I was honored to be asked to lead the team that designed and operated our Joe V’s Smart Shop formats. I also enjoyed establishing and supporting our CID organization over the years as my connection with store operations has and will always be strong.

Can you share more about the process of bringing the Joe V’s format to life?
In 2008, Craig Boyan approached me with a unique opportunity. He asked if I would be interested in spearheading the design of a format specifically tailored to serve the most price conscious customers in Houston. I have a real passion for finding unique ways of serving different customers groups, so I said YES! For the next two years, through a lot of collaborative effort, Joe V himself and I led teams who conducted extensive research, studied competition, and participated in in-home focus groups to truly understand the needs and preferences of our target customers. We also met with many of our Partners across the company to help us design the store.

On May 5th, 2010, we proudly celebrated the opening of our very first Joe V’s Smart Shop and it was impressive – a true testament to our dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of our customers and the communities we serve. And it embodies H-E-B’s commitment to serving all customers and communities and ensuring that everyone has access to fresh high-quality food at really low prices.

You have shared that you have a heart for the value customer — where did that come from?
I grew up on a working farm. We raised cattle, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, and farmed corn and cotton. My family was the “price conscious customer” we seek to serve today, especially with our Joe V’s format — my dad was a farmer and a carpenter who dropped out of school in the 9th grade to support his family. My mother was a nurse who worked two jobs. Although we didn’t have much money, my parents raised most of our food, so our meals were never lacking, but I wore my brothers’ hand me downs and had two pairs of shoes, one for church and one for school. If we weren’t at church or school, we were barefoot. It wasn’t until the girls at school began making fun of my clothes that I began to see our financial situation more clearly.

I remember at one point, my dad almost had to file bankruptcy due to a disease that wiped out most of our cattle herd. Food stamps didn’t exist at the time, so every week we received a food voucher for a 5-pound block of cheese. I’d ride with my mom into town every Saturday to stand in line for it. One day, on our way home, we made a stop at someone’s house and my mom grabbed a box of our clothes from the trunk and gave it to the family who lived there. I remember being confused and asking her why she would give our clothes away. She looked right at me and said, “Roxanne, we may not have a lot, but we have more than these people have. We can always find a way to give.” At the time, I was only 8 or 9 years old, but I’ve never forgotten what she said. Those words, and the sentiment behind them, are still the foundation for so many of my decisions as a person and leader.

How did it feel when you were promoted to Chief Operating Officer?
For the family and Craig to have such confidence in me was humbling, to say the least. I’m incredibly grateful, as it took a lot of great Partners and leaders in this company to get me here — a lot of coaching, support, and feedback from tremendous leaders who have challenged me, guided me, and put up with my crazy ideas. Even more important, are all the amazing Partners who supported me along this 35-year journey.

What is your favorite part of your job?
The Partners. I’ve felt so blessed in every single role I’ve had since starting 35 years ago, but my constant favorite is our Partners. When I’m having a tough day, I drive to our stores and spend time with them. They are the backbone of our success as a retailer, and it’s such a blessing to be able to serve them and work alongside them.

What is the most challenging part of your job?
We have experienced significant sales growth over the past 5 years which has put pressure on all areas of our company. Reinvesting in our infrastructure to support this growth as well as preparing our leaders to being a powerful omni-channel retailer is the challenge ahead that I am excited to take on with our leadership team.

What’s been a memorable moment for you over the course of your career so far?
Sitting across from a Partner to tell them they’ve been promoted tops the list for me. Second is when I walked Charles through our first big Plus! store in Corpus Christi the night before we opened our doors to the public. That was the moment we shifted from being a great grocer to a great retailer, and I’ll never forget the look on Charles’ face. Of course, our grand opening of Joe Vs deserves a top spot! That day was full of emotional highs and lows, and I’ll always remember how it felt to see that idea come to life. It was a real blessing to witness. Now, I get to see leaders experience similar events like the grand opening of Frisco and Plano and it brings such joy to me to know they get to experience the same things.

What advice would you give others about working for H-E-B?
We are a people-first company. We’re able to get the results we get because of our people and the freedom they have to take great care of our Partners, stores, and customers. Regardless of what role you’re hired for, spend time getting to know our Partners in our stores. They are the best in retail at taking great care of our customers and know the details of our business. If you have a passion for people and retail, you’ll have a long and fulfilling career at H-E-B!