GROCERY STORES, RANKED BY NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
RETAIL & LEISURE
Top 10 WALMART STORES INC. 4127 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, 85008 // 602-273-8000 // walmart. com FOUNDED 1962 AZ EMPLOYEES 32,438 PRINCIPAL AND AZ HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Paula Ginnett, vice president and regional general manager FRY’S FOOD STORES 500 S. 99th Ave., Tolleson, 85353 // 623-936-2100 // frysfood.com FOUNDED 1960 AZ EMPLOYEES 17,000 AZ PRINCIPAL Steve McKinney, president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Monica Garnes, vice president of merchandizing ALBERTSON’S-SAFEWAY 20427 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, 85027 // 623-869-6100 // albertsons.com, safeway.com FOUNDED 2015 AZ EMPLOYEES 14,490 AZ PRINCIPAL Shane Dorcheus, Southwest division president HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Michelle Larson, vice president of marketing and merchandising BASHAS’ FAMILY OF STORES 22402 S. Basha Road, Chandler, 85248 // 480-895-9350 // bashas. com FOUNDED 1932 AZ EMPLOYEES 8,511 PRINCIPAL Edward Basha III, chairman of the board HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Elva G. Vivas, director of finance and planning; Denise R. Brownell, director of loss prevention TARGET CORP. 8550 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, 85284 // 480-533-2223 // target.com FOUNDED 1962 AZ EMPLOYEES 8,285 AZ PRINCIPAL Kobie Zimmerman, group director of stores HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Susan Bradshaw, director of collections COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP. 4649 Morena Blvd., San Diego, 92117 // 858-812-1400 // costco. com FOUNDED 1976 AZ EMPLOYEES 4,416 AZ PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Jill Whittaker, region operations manager SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET 5455 E. High St., Suite 111, Phoenix, 85054 // 480-814-8016 // sprouts.com FOUNDED 2002 AZ EMPLOYEES 3,100 PRINCIPAL Doug Sanders, president, CEO HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Nancy LaMons, chief human resources officer WHOLE FOODS MARKET 7111 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, 85054 // 818-501-8484 // wholefoodsmarket.com FOUNDED 1980 AZ EMPLOYEES 1,200 AZ PRINCIPAL Bill Cano, executive coordinator of operations for Arizona HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Stacy McLean, store team leader, Whole Foods Market Paradise Valley WINCO FOODS P.O. Box 5756, Boise, Idaho, 83705
// 208-377-0110 // wincofoods.com FOUNDED
1967 AZ EMPLOYEES 960 AZ PRINCIPAL Rudy Morfin, Southwest division president HIGHESTRANKING WOMAN Gisel Villeda, director of human resources SMART & FINAL 8485 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89117 // 702-255-2338 // smartandfinal.com FOUNDED 1990 AZ EMPLOYEES 160 PRINCIPAL AND HIGHEST-RANKING WOMAN Laurie Lombardo, district manager
GROWING SALES, PEOPLE Growing up in Arkansas, Paula Ginnett did what a lot folks are expected to do: She got a job with Walmart Stores, Inc., the retail powerhouse that hails from the state. “It was going to be the job to get me through college,” she says, noting that this year marks her 25th anniversary with the company. “And I can’t really remember not having Walmart in my life, as a shopper.” Ginnett started as cashier and ascended through the ranks while earning her political science degree. She entered the company’s management program, and became an assistant manager and co-manager in a few markets in and out of the state before heading back to the corporate office. From there, she was off to the Northwest as a district manager before heading back to Arkansas. She worked in merchandising before being named vice president of store planning for the real estate division. “That’s one of the cool things about Walmart,” she says. “There’s really every job you can imagine throughout the organization, so you really have the opportunity to move around.” Today, she’s the Phoenix-based vice president and regional general manger for Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, charged with aligning the company’s local operations. In that role, Ginnett ensures the 164 stores she oversees are run well, engages
the 50,000 Walmart associates within those stores and sees that the stores’ customers are served properly. Her day-to-day routine differs, but she spends a lot of time in many different Walmart stores, always focused on improvement. “I think I learn something every day,” she says. “I like to say you have to be a student of the business. The thing about retail is that it’s ever-changing and evolving. There is no Step 1. There may be some guidelines and parameters, but the environmental factors — like shopping patterns — are constantly evolving,” Ginnett is thrilled about a new Walmart Supercenter opening in the Valley near Chandler Fashion Center, which will also offer a grocery pickup service the company has successfully piloted in five other cities. “We’re going to have the rollout of the grocery pickup at a few stores in Chandler, Mesa and Scottsdale, but the goal is to expand this service within the market,” Ginnett says. If there’s one thing Ginnett loves most about her career, it would probably be the sense of pride she gets from enabling others and helping them grow, while creating a high-performing team of associates and a work environment in which all can thrive. “I think growing the business means growing your people,” she says.
PAULA GINNETT VICE PRESIDENT AND REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER BY GREMLYN BRADLEYWADDELL
2015 // WHO’S WHO IN BUSINESS 73
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