MONICA GARNES WOMAN EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

merchandiser. He was just a great man, a great personality,” Garnes said.

Another strong mentor for Garnes is current Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen. He was instrumental in identifying the need for Garnes to take the next step to the executive level. He saw that the time had come for Garnes to relocate to another market. The result was her position as president of Fry’s.

“In a perfect world, we might think we should stay in the division where we grew up through the ranks, but it really pushed me to learn a new market, a different shopper, and to meet new people. Fry’s goes to market much differently than we did in Columbus. Fry’s is such a great division; we get a lot of visitors. It really helped me, and along the way Rodney has shown the importance of open and honest feedback. I can talk to him about things that are happening in the business. He wants to hear what’s going on and he really listens. I think he’s a great leader and he has been a tremendous supporter of me throughout my career,” Garnes said.

Garnes named Kroger COO Mike Donnelly, who worked at Fry’s and Ralphs, as another important role model. She has learned so much from him, she said. He has made trips to Arizona, and she has observed firsthand “the amazing merchandising mind he has,” which has inspired her to emulate his success. “He promoted me to corporate VP of produce and floral and was instrumental in my promotion to president of Fry’s Food Stores. Having someone believe in you and your abilities is so important. Then I had the opportunity to come back to Fry’s and think about following in his footsteps, as he was the president in the Fry’s division for many years.”

Preparing for things to come

Garnes can now look back and recognize how the positions she has held prepared her for things to come. The work as assistant produce buyer and produce buyer were not easy jobs.

“I went on to be a produce merchandiser and later to run produce and floral for all of Kroger. Even though I didn’t like those two buying positions, without them I probably wouldn’t have had the other opportunities. I have a special place in my heart for produce and floral.”

Of course, at times Garnes has had the awareness of being a woman and a woman of color in her position.

“Many times, especially in our industry, people don’t see a lot of African Americans in my role. Sometimes people doubt my ability and doubt why I’m in a particular role, so I’ve always felt that I had to be my best every single day I came to work, making sure that people understand that I have the position because I was the best selection for that role, that I’m talented and that even if I didn’t have the

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GARNES from page 19 background in a particular field, I can pick up things, learn and deliver business results,” said Garnes.

“I’ve always felt that if I do my best, any question about why I’m in a role would be off the table, especially when I became president. I was overwhelmed, in a good way, by the response I received from people not only within The Kroger Family of Companies, but also throughout the retail industry. People were so excited to see the success of someone that looked like them. Even if it was a white female or male, they were celebrating the fact that being African American and president of a grocery division was possible.”

Unlike some leaders, Garnes often is recognized when doing her personal shopping or making a store visit. “I always think I can go in and be incognito, but not so much. It’s that responsibility of always knowing that associates are are looking at you as the leader. If I’m coming into a Fry’s store, the chances are that I’m going to be spotted relatively quickly, so I don’t have the luxury of necessarily having that anonymity that other leaders may have.”

Leadership style

When Garnes first started with the company, she didn’t have her eye set on being a president.

“There were times in my career when I thought that just to be a district manager would be incredible, let alone to think I could go on to be an executive for The Kroger Co., much less a president. The good thing about being in this role is that women and other minorities now see the possibilities they didn’t see when I started in 1995.”

Garnes’ leadership style started developing in college when she led the URI basketball team. She applied those skills and expanded her abilities after coming to Kroger, where she began acquiring more knowledge and networking with business leaders. She’s an inclusive leader who embraces who she is as a person.

“We’re exposed to so much at Kroger in terms of leadership training and books, but for me the best learning was practical, putting it into practice and seeing people. I think about how Bruce Lucia connected with people. He was just such an amazing leader that people wanted to do great things for him. I want to create an environment where people know their ideas and opinions count. I try to do more listening than talking,” Garnes said.

It’s important to Garnes that people see her living the company’s values of diversity, inclusion, respect, safety, integrity and honesty, which also are important to her personally. She knows the value of walking the walk and talking the talk and how it builds associates’ confidence in leadership. “They know that my decisions are coming from a value-based position that has the best interests of our associates and customers at heart.”

Time management

To maintain her hectic schedule, Garnes is well organized, with a calendar she prints out months in advance. She knows the importance of time management in scheduling daily appointments and duties as well as planning ahead and preparing for future events. “Typically, I close my day and then map out my strategy for the next day.”

She learned a long time ago how to prioritize and how to say no when necessary. She works closely with her assistant to ensure that she and her two VPs are all on the same page. “My leadership team and I work well together in executing on our long-term strategy, setting Fry’s up for continued future success.”

Giving back

The philanthropy of the company—which supports nonprofit organizations and participates in numerous charity events—is the right fit for Garnes. Fry’s donated 10 million meals to the community last year. “I love to work at a company that is so committed to giving back to the community. We talk about Zero Hunger | Zero Waste and the difference we can make to end hunger in the community and eliminate waste both through Kroger and Fry’s.”

Fry’s donates to local nonprofits and pours $4 million a year back into the community. Additionally, the company supports hunger initiatives with local food banks as well as in partnership with Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

“We just presented them with a check for $134,000 to help with their mission here in Phoenix,” noted Garnes.

Fry’s also helped pack 3 million meals in one day over the winter holidays.

“On multiple occasions we do a team-building project to support Zero Hunger | Zero Waste. Last year we were at St. Mary’s Food Bank and we packed produce boxes, because food pantries don’t always have access to produce. We partner all year long as a Fry’s family to help people that are less fortunate than we are.”

Garnes personally supports organizations such as St. Mary’s Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army. She has also established the Monica Garnes Endowment Scholarship for the College of Business at her alma mater, URI. She serves on the Phoenix Suns Charities Board, the URI College of Business Deans Advisory Board, the St. Mary’s Food Bank Advisory Council and the Rio Salado College President’s Advisory Council.

Avid sports fan

As an avid sports fan with a passion for basketball, Garnes spends much of her personal time courtside. “Basketball is my first love. I really enjoy watching the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, which is our women’s WNBA team. I’m biased, but I think we have some of the best players in the league right here in Phoenix. The (Arizona) Diamondbacks are right down the street, so I enjoy baseball games as well. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I’m a huge Ohio State Buckeye fan.”

Garnes also enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

“One of the great things about living in Arizona is that I’m never short on visitors. Even when it’s 100-plus degrees, I have friends and family that still love coming out. I just finished my fifth summer in Arizona, and I think my blood’s getting thinner because now I get cold when it’s not more than 100 degrees.”

Another fun leisure activity that most grocery retailers participate in, Garnes revealed, is taking a tour of grocery stores in other locales. “If I’m visiting my sister who lives in Long Island—where the retailers are different than those we have here—she’ll find a great grocery store to take me to. Even if I’m in the Caribbean, I’ll check out a new store. It’s just in our DNA, because we’re always looking for what a competitor is doing.”