The Shelby Report of the West congratulates
Richard Wardwell on
his induction into the
Superior Grocers CEO hailed for exceptional leadership, dedication
Successful grocery industry career began more than four decades ago in home state of Nevada
Early life
Richard Wardwell grew up in Elko, Nevada, a small mining and cattle ranching town in the northern part of the state. He was one of six children – three boys and three girls – and next to the youngest. His dad was a truck driver who did mechanic work on the side to help earn extra money for the family. His mom stayed at home with the kids until they were older, then worked as a bookkeeper.
His dad had grown up on a ranch in the community of Ruby Valley, and he would take the family there some weekends to help out friends who were still operating ranches, doing work on vehicles or other chores. In the summertime, the kids would hang out at the pool in Ruby Valley and help with the haying.
At various times of year, there would be branding, horseshoeing and other tasks. When the kids were old enough, they helped with the slaughter – boys cutting and grinding the beef, girls packaging it up. They also raised chickens, fished and hunted, processing the deer or other animal in their garage.
“I was told not to take an animal unless you wanted to eat it, unless you needed it,” Wardwell said.
Their recreational time involved hiking and camping out.
“We didn’t come from a lot of money, but we never wanted for anything,” Wardwell said. “My dad would load us all up in the Suburban or the camper, and we’d go for the weekend.
“I’m like, ‘Man, I’m missing the fair, I’m missing all the sporting events, I’m missing all the other stuff.’ We would just go out and camp as a family. And then my friends wanted to come with us. And so eventually everybody would be piled into that travel home. We’d go out Friday night, and we wouldn’t come back ’til 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock on Sunday night.”
With six kids, there were bound to be tussles, so when his dad had had enough, he would drive through the mountains, where there was snow even in summer, and get stuck on purpose so the kids would have to use their energy to dig out the vehicle rather than quarrel.
“It would take us six or seven hours and take the energy out of us so we wouldn’t fight. We’d have to work together, and we’d have to figure it out, right?” Wardwell said.
His maternal grandmother also left him with lasting lessons. She became a widow when she had three children still at home, so she went back to school to get her nursing degree. She took a job at a youth training center, working with troubled young men.
“I remember my grandma, whenever somebody would ask her questions, she was very matter of fact – this is what we’re doing, this is right, this is wrong. Yeah, she was something else. She shaped the way I thought.
“That’s the kind of stubbornness and tenacity that I get my personality from,” added Wardwell, who remembers his grandmother taking him fishing and camping in the mountains or anywhere she could, every chance she got. (His mom got that same stubbornness, he noted.)
There are words that come up frequently when people talk about Richard Wardwell, president and CEO of Superior Grocers. Driven. Intense. Hands-on. Aware. Friendly. Funny. Tireless. Goodhearted. Humble. Competitive.
He doesn’t sleep much and works six 15ishhour days a week, which would make most people unable to be any of those things.
When he’s not out visiting the company’s 73 stores, Wardwell greets employees at Superior’s distribution center and headquarters in the morning and the afternoon, making sure to stop and sing to those having a birthday (normally there are balloons or other signals to clue him in). He stops in every office, every cubicle, according to his team members. They say it’s because he recognizes that people are vital to any company’s success.
After joining Santa Fe Springs, California-based Superior in late 2014 as VP of operations and then moving up through the ranks to become president and CEO in 2022, Wardwell has learned about the Hispanic grocery business and devoted himself to learning Spanish to help him communicate better with team members.
He challenges people, he inspires people, he wants to win and he wants to make Mimi Song, Superior Grocers’ founder and chairman, proud that she took a chance on him nearly a decade ago.
He’s an exceptional leader with a rich history in the grocery business in the West, which makes Rich
Wardwell worthy to be inducted into the Shelby Publishing Food Industry Hall of Fame.
In the following Q&A, Wardwell covers a wide range of topics, including his upbringing, his early years in the grocery business, what he’s learned at Superior and a near-death experience at the hands of a bear.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview. Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your back story? What led you to this particular career path?
I started working at Raley’s when I graduated high school. I needed a part-time job while going to college in Reno. I wanted to get a criminal justice degree, then go to work for the Nevada Highway Patrol. I applied and was going through the acceptance process to go into the academy when Dave
Steitz offered me a management role within Raley’s.
I was newly married, my first child on the way, and at the time Raley’s paid more, so I gave up the dream of going fast with the sirens and lights flashing to fully immerse myself in my retail career.
I was lucky enough that I had many great leaders before me that took the time to help me learn and develop. Bud Geisking was my first store manager who took me under his wing to show me the basics of the business.
Hank Lewandowski was another great mentor. He took so much time to teach me the accounting and details of the business in order to make money and maximize return. He was such a great role model. Hard-working, kind, thoughtful, demanding, funny and driven.
Vince Testa, who has since passed, promoted me to my first store director position within Raley’s and continued to mentor me to help me achieve a higher role in the company. When Raley’s entered the Las Vegas market, Vince promoted me to a
Chairman: He’s going to take Superior Grocers to next level
Mimi Song hired Richard Wardwell as her VP of operations in November, 2014, so he’s coming up on his 10th anniversary with the company.
As Song began thinking about a succession plan for leadership at Superior, she knew she was looking for someone with operations expertise. A mutual industry friend connected Song and Wardwell, and their first phone conversation lasted more than an hour. Wardwell was driving and had pulled off the freeway to focus on the call.
Their next meeting was at a Superior store grand opening, and they ended up talking in the parking lot during this very busy day. She asked him what he wanted in a job, since he was employed at the time and not necessarily looking for a new job.
“What are you really looking for?” Song asked.
“I want to build my legacy,” Wardwell responded.
That’s when Song knew she had found the right person. “I said, ‘I cannot promise you can build a legacy with Superior, but I’m sure Superior will be the best opportunity to help build your legacy.”
So, Wardwell turned in his notice. Within a month, he was on board at Superior Grocers.
Turns out, he and Song got along fine. They discovered they are both driven to succeed, and she allowed him a good-sized learning curve, as he had never worked for a Hispanic grocery retailer before.
Even as a grocery expert, Wardwell made some mistakes at the beginning. However, he learned quickly and was able to acclimate himself with the Hispanic retailer approach.
Wardwell has high integrity and works extremely hard. This is something they have in common, according to Song. In addition, while he has high expectations, at the same time he truly cares about his team.
Song said Wardwell also is “very fair and shows great leadership and has also built his own leadership within Superior.”
“Not everybody agrees with him or likes him, honestly, and I don’t want everybody to like me either,” she said. “It’s more important that you are respected as a leader.”
Over the years, Wardwell was promoted to SVP of operations, COO and then president. He was named president and CEO in January 2023. Song, who had been CEO and chairman, retained the latter title.
“In order to build your legacy, you have to be head of the company,” she said.
So, the CEO title gave Wardwell the opportunity to do just that, become the leader of a company that employs more than 7,500 people.
“He proved himself for eight years. And in the last two years, he’s doing a great job, and we are growing,” Song said. “He built a different leadership than when I was running Superior. And it should be different, because even if we have a lot in common, there is Rich’s world and there is my [world]. You know what? I have no problem with that. Let him run this company his way with his team.
“I truly believe with Rich’s leadership and dedication as CEO, he will take Superior to the next level. Cheers to Rich and to Superior’s success.”
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
food service supervisor in the district. There I was introduced to another great mentor, Yvonne Peters, who sent me to baking school, cheese culinary programs, had me tour many food service facilities, taught me how to operate our central bakery in Sacramento and drove into my brain the elements of cost control in food service.
After Las Vegas, Vince promoted me to director of operations for Raley’s New Mexico, where I worked for seven years until Raley’s sold the division. I was offered a role back in Sacramento, but after 25 years I felt I needed to make a change.
Steve Junqueiro hired me at Save Mart as the director of operations for the Nevada Division. At Save Mart there were so many people that welcomed me and continued to mentor me about the business. Steve Beaver was the VP of operations. He was the best grocer I had ever met at the time. He took so much time to walk the stores with me, teach me the ins and outs of everything Save Mart had done and why they had done it. He was a consummate professional and someone I truly admired. He had a magnificent work ethic and always acted with the company’s best interests in mind.
Steve was the CEO of Save Mart at the time, and he welcomed me into the company, made himself available for questions, asked for feedback on a regular basis and was a great leader for the company and myself.
Please see page 26
SUPERIOR STRONGER SINCE HE CAME ABOARD
“I first met Rich over lunch and was very impressed with his knowledge of the food industry and his background. I took a liking to Richard, I thought he had a lot of potential, so I told Mimi [Song, Superior chairman, prior to hiring Wardwell] that I’d be more than willing to … visit with him a few times and walk a couple of stores with him.
“Two or three takeaways from those times I spent with him: One, I think he’s a quick learner. He certainly knows the stores inside and out; store operations, I think he’s very strong in. And I think he’s reasonably strong on the marketing side.
“Where he needed, I thought, some more experience was exposure to the outside world and enjoying organizations that maybe weren’t always affiliated with the food industry. I think he’s grown tremendously in just the last couple of years, and he’s a good executive.
“I think he certainly handles people well. In our store visits, they seem to like him very well. I think Superior is a stronger company since he came on board.”
Richard E.
“Dick” Goodspeed
Former chairman and CEO,
Vons
Mimi Song
Helping people takes different forms
Richard Wardwell graduated from high school in 1982. He went to college for two years, starting out with the goal of a criminal justice degree and then becoming a highway patrolman, but he kept getting promoted at Raley’s and moving to different towns, so he put that aside.
He said his desire to be a highway patrolman was rooted in wanting to help people. Though his life took a different turn, he and Superior Grocers show their support for law enforcement and first responders by buying meals for them when the opportunity presents itself.
“Mimi [Song, chairman] and I, when we’re out there and we see officers or lawmen or firefighters, we’ll thank them and buy their lunch. She’s like, ‘Hey, we have to take care of those people.’ That’s the kind of leader that I have.
“Mimi’s culture is that you give back. Take care of yourself – but give back.”
The culture of giving back extends to several arenas, including fighting hunger and providing scholarships. Superior supports scholarships through the California Grocers Association and Western Association of Food Chains, as well as its own Superior Foundation.
“She’s really big into giving back for education,” Wardwell said of Song. “I was going through the Superior recipients today. There are about 10 $2,000 recipients, which I was proud to see. And their parents are at the stores. That’s pretty cool.”
Employees that earn WAFC’s retail management certificate get a $1 an hour raise and are first in line for promotion to management. Wardwell personally congratulates them, as he does for employees completing milestone years of service. They are recognized at five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and so on.
“I go and recognize each one of them individually, and then we bring everybody together and have a little celebration,” he said. “I give them their [award] packet and tell them how much I appreciate them.”
Richard Wardwell’s grandkids: Cashus, Avery, Peytan and Novi.
From page 22
My favorite quote from Steve that I still use today is: “Grocery is a simple business but not an easy one.” How true. From the outside, a person might think it is just buying and selling, but to all of us in the grocery business we know how difficult some things are.
After four years with Save Mart, I was offered a chance to go work for Walmart. It was something I was seeking, as I wanted to learn how and why they did things. I went as a store manager for the
Ceres location and worked for one year, learning as much as I could about the operation. It was a great experience, and I am glad I went.
While I was working at Walmart, Bob Tiernan with Raley’s approached me about coming back to Raley’s as the VP of operations for their Food Source Division. While working at Food Source, one day I received a call from Brenda Sarti and was asked if I would be willing to have a conversation with Mimi Song. I was not looking for a job at the time but was always interested in meeting new people.
Friends
Alan Blach was Wardwell’s childhood neighbor; they’ve been friends since they were 5, playing basketball, hanging out, going through high school together.
Wardwell became friends with Steve Hansen in seventh grade. He runs a business in Elko. Also a pastor, Hansen performed the wedding of Wardwell’s daughter, Rachel, this summer.
Wardwell became friends with the other two, Bryan Gehlert and Dave French, at Raley’s.
All four attended Rachel’s wedding. His friendships with each of the four spans four decades, or five, in the case of Blach. They have traveled to Argentina to fish and to Patagonia to fish and dove hunt. They live in Sacramento, Elko and Reno, so air travel can be necessary for Wardwell to get to his friends, but he makes the time.
Another great friend is Tim Davidson, whom Wardwell met 21 years ago at Raley’s. “He was in the back room, and we just hit it off. He’s one of my closest and dearest friends.”
Richard Wardwell
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
The phone call was supposed to be about 15 minutes or so but ended up being over an hour. I had pulled off the side of the road so I would not lose cell coverage while talking to her. I was there for such a long time that a highway patrol officer knocked on my window and asked me to move along.
From that point, I came down to Los Angeles and interviewed two times more and was offered the role of vice president of operations. I was promoted over the last 10 years to SVP of operations, then to COO in 2018 then to president right before the pandemic and then to president and CEO in 2022. Please
LEADER WHO UNDERSTANDS, EMBRACES TEAMWORK
“Richard has always had a keen ability to search out and follow the truth and lead others to do the same. He is a leader who understands and embraces teamwork.
“Richard makes good decisions as a leader, even if it creates unfavorable consequences to himself personally. He identifies and recognizes talent in his team and absolutely knows who his customers are.”
Steve Junqueiro
CEO, Steve Junqueiro
Associates
U.S. President, Wonder Veggies
Former president and COO, The Save Mart Companies
Richard Wardwell with his daughter, Rachel, and her Canadian black bear.
Richard Wardwell with the red stag he hunted in New Zealand. His rule is to not kill animals that won’t be eaten; the meat from the stag went to feed people in the community.
Richard Wardwell is part of a group of five friends that still gather whenever they can.
Longtime friends fishing in northern Nevada, from left: Alan Blach, Dave French, Rich Wardwell, Bryan Gehlert and Steve Hansen.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading the company?
My favorite story to tell about coming to work for Superior happened on my first-year anniversary.
I was called into the large conference room in the main office and most people from the office were inside with a cake and first-year certificate. Mimi was there and started the meeting by telling me how happy she was that I made it a year because most don’t. I told her that I wish she had mentioned that in the interview process.
I love that story because it tells the demand of leadership … retail is difficult at times and a lot of people don’t make it because of many reasons.
Some of the most common reasons that come to mind are: The demands of the schedule and number of hours required are too much for some. My workdays usually begin at 3:30 a.m. and end around 6-7 p.m., six days a week. With that type of work schedule, I am consistently texting or sending messages asking others about the business. That type of on-call demand can be tiring for some.
We are a 24-7 business, and there is a high demand for action that is particularly challenging
and rewarding, but it is not for everyone.
Mimi works hard and has ambitious standards. She does not ask you to do things that she isn’t
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
doing as well. It has been good for me to try and meet those standards.
‘If he doesn’t know it, he’s going to find the way to know it’
within months of each other in 2014.
Ten years later, Cabrera, who initially was hired as bakery director and is now VP of bakery and tortilleria, said Wardwell is a great leader who works tremendously hard and “doesn’t get tired.” He’s also always learning.
“If he doesn’t know it, he’s going to find the way to know it. When he came to Superior, he had a lot of experience in the supermarket world, but the Hispanic market was very little known to him,” Cabrera said.
“One of the things he did, very graciously and with a lot of humility, was to approach us and talk to us every day about the market – understanding what the consumer needs and what we needed to do.” Wardwell also relishes a challenge and is good at breaking it down into actions leading to success, Cabrera said. But he is careful to not just present answers but to vet them with the team.
“He gives you the strategy, but he asks you for your feedback, ‘What do you think?’ And there’s no wrong answer with him. We try many different things, different approaches, in order to be successful, and I think we are very successful.
“It’s a pleasure to work for a company that is growing. It has a tremendous future, and it’s a pleasure working for Richard, knowing that he challenges us every day to be better. And when you have a leader that inspires you, you do your best.”
Augustin Cabrera and Richard Wardwell joined Superior Grocers
Augustin Cabrera
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Working my first store as a new manager, I was trying hard to do the right things and work harder and faster, as I thought that was the way to climb and be noticed.
I was working the evening shift at Golden Valley and was being called to the front while receiving a load. Being the only manager on duty, I was hurrying to get the back door shut and get up front … I came barreling out the backroom door talking to myself because they were calling every five seconds, it seemed. I came rushing out and almost knocked over the DM for the division, as he was the one asking for me to come up front.
He was so mad. I laugh about it now, but learned that you cannot do everything at once and you need to try and stay calm whenever many things are demanding of your time. As a CEO, all mistakes – and I have made plenty – I don’t consider funny.
The most common mistakes I’ve made were day-to-day decisions. Things like designing a new store that doesn’t work quite the way you envisioned. Mistakes about competitive activities and
how to approach the way we go to market. I try to make decisions quickly and work on correcting if a mistake is made.
I really like Elon Musk’s quote, “I would rather be optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right.” I think that is a powerful quote.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have so many people to thank that helped me along the way from the very beginning, but a person that kickstarted my career that I truly admired was Bud Geisking. Bud was my first store manager at Raley’s, and he took me under his wing and taught me so much about myself and the business.
Bud taught me the importance of merchandising, mark-down processes, how to project seasonal buying and how to successfully transition the seasons in the store to maximize sales. He tried his best to humble me and was very pointed in the way he wanted me to be for him to endorse me.
It took quite a while to win that endorsement, but I remember what he said. He told me that he took extra time and held me back, and he did that so that he knew I would have the best chance
Please see page 40
Mentors
Richard Wardwell, as he said in his interview, has had a number of mentors over his long career in the grocery business.
One that has come into his life a little later is Dick Goodspeed, former chairman and CEO of Vons. He met Goodspeed during the interview process with Superior, at the request of Mimi Song.
“Mr. Goodspeed, we’ll have lunch and we’ll talk about the things that are happening in the business. We’ll talk about leadership and ownership, and some of the challenges I have, whether it’s capital or policy or people,” Wardwell says.
Longtime industry consultant Harold Lloyd is another mentor, as are Jim Donald at Albertsons and Steve Junqueiro, the leader of Save Mart during Wardwell’s tenure there.
“It’s good to talk to them. I’ll ask them specific questions about what I’m troubled with at that point, and I’ll get different answers from Dick, Harold, Jim and Steve.
“Steve Junqueiro and I have more of a fluid conversation because we worked together for so long,” Wardwell added. “The conversations are more, ‘Hey, this is what’s happening; did you have this happen when you were in this, and did you do this? And did you do that? And what do you think?’ We’ll carve out time to just talk about how things are going and what’s going on with him, and what’s going on with me, and what I can do to better the position.
“You can only get better one store at a time, one person at a time; I got that from Mr. Junqueiro. OSAAT, you get one better one person at a time, one store at a time.
“It’s all driven toward improving not necessarily the business, but the person,” he said of the time he’s able to spend with his mentors. “To have that kind of mind equity in the things that they’ve been through and how they built a business and how they grow business” is invaluable to Wardwell, who is “thankful for their time.”
“If I call them, they’ll respond, and it’s just nice to have that,” he said.
One of his biggest mentors, though, is in-house.
“You can’t walk away from the biggest one that I have – right here in that corner office,” he said, referring to Mimi Song, founder and chairman of Superior Grocers. “She’s scary smart, I’m telling you.”
She can detect if someone is not telling her the truth and will cut them down to size. When she promoted him to run the company, Song told Wardwell that the only thing she wanted from him was that when she asked him to get something done that his response would be “done.”
“We have a unique relationship… I care about her, and I care about the business,” Wardwell said. “I don’t want to let her down.
“My job is simply to give Mimi options for what she can do. So, grow the company, hold the fort together, drive results, help people work on putting her in a better position. Every day.”
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
RESPECT, FRIENDSHIP GREW THROUGH HARD WORK
“Rich and I had a mutual dislike for each other before we’d even met because of a disagreement we’d had over the phone about work matters. Shortly thereafter, Rich was transferred to be my assistant. We did not know what to expect from each other.
“It only took a few days for each of us to realize that we were actually from the same mold and had the same work ethic and business acumen. Rich was eager to learn and quick to adapt to all aspects of running the business. At that point, I knew he would climb the corporate ladder quickly and end up where he is today.
“After working together and getting to know each other, we became very good friends and truly respected each other. Ultimately, our different work styles started to mesh, and we learned we could count on one another, run a tight ship, have each other’s back and achieve good sales numbers…and have fun at the same time.
“I truly miss Rich and always wish him the very best. One question I have for Rich is, “How do you do it?’”
Hank Lewandowski Raleys
Dale Nakata, Richard Wardwell, Miguel Alarcon and Chris Denney, the night before the opening of the Superior store in Tulare.
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
‘He doesn’t want to be the best; he wants us to be the best’
Tom Finn worked for a number of mainstream Southern California grocery chains prior to entering the Hispanic grocery space with Northgate Gonzalez Markets. There, he began to understand more about that segment of the population.
“The Hispanic community is so genuine and unique; it celebrates with food unlike any culture that I’ve been exposed to in the vanilla grocery market,” said Finn, who is Superior Grocer’s SVP of merchandising and marketing.
When Wardwell approached him about a job opportunity at Superior, it was a “very, very difficult decision. But I had to do it because I knew that if I didn’t give it a shot, I probably would have regretted it later. So, I left an outstanding company to come to another outstanding company.”
Finn calls Wardwell, “a very unique individual.”
“The man is driven, and he is a very goal-oriented CEO. He has a way of connecting with people through humor, but at the same time rallying a group of people in a way that makes them feel that they’re going to be part of something very special.”
Though Superior is growing into what many would no longer call a small company, Wardwell keeps it from feeling that way, according to Finn.
“If you walk a store with Richard, he knows everybody in the store. He goes beyond what I think many other people would do to connect with them, even learning how to speak Spanish,” Finn said. “You have to be impressed with that, because that’s certainly not easy for everybody to do. But he sees it as a
necessity to be a leader.”
He leads by example, Finn added. “He’s with everybody shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm. He wouldn’t ask you to do anything he wouldn’t do himself.”
Wardwell has a way of making people feel that “we should all be proud of working for Superior Grocers. If we’re all working together on these initiatives and feeling the sense of urgency to get things done, I think that we all take a sense of pride in that, and he’s done a very good job of [encouraging] that.”
Finn said Wardwell is leading the company to continue to develop its identity in the marketplace as not just a place to buy groceries but as a community center.
“If we can connect in a more personal way and be part of the community and connect with the culture of the customer, he sees us as a unique operator or a unique solution for our customer, and we become a preferred retailer in the marketplace for our customer as opposed to just a store that carries products.”
Finn, who has been at Superior for about a year and a half, appreciates what Wardwell adds to the company.
“He doesn’t want to be the best; he wants us to be the best. When you hear him talk about what’s important to him, how he goes about business and how he acts on his words, that’s what I would say is the thing I get the most out of Richard – he wants us to be the best.”
Tom Finn
Day in the life
Richard Wardwell is an early riser.
“I get up at 2:30, 3 o’clock [in the morning]. I read my sales, I have my coffee, I do my duolingo, I get on the treadmill – not as much as I should – and then I go outside and I’ll read 1440 and get caught up on all the world events.
“And then I’ll come here, or I’ll hit a store first. Then I’ll get to the DC, walk the DC, look at the product in the coolers. I’ll look at the stock. I’ll look at the numbers we have, look at the rates. And then I come in here and I’ll say hi to everybody. I’ll walk through and see if there’s any birthdays. And then I start my meetings at 7 a.m. –seven, eight, nine o’clock. This is daily, six days a week… has been like that for a long time.
“On Sundays, I go out in the stores, but that’s for shopping…it’s different when you walk a store as a DM or as a VP or CEO versus a customer, because you’re spending your own money. So I’ll pick a store that’s a challenge. I’ll shop it, and I’ll come back and say, ‘Oh, we’re missing this or missing that from a gringo’s perspective.’”
Rich Wardwell at his desk
at being successful. He was such a good person. He constantly took me aside to review my work and teach me things about the business that kept stretching me.
He would make sure that I was OK and would give me side jobs around his property to make extra money so that I would be able to survive better. I put a new roof on his home, built a cedar fence around his home and finished concrete pads in his back yard to make extra money.
I had learned those types of skills from my dad and brothers. We grew up in Elko, Nevada. My dad was a truck driver/mechanic, and my mom was
Lopez
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Essential at last
Having put in more than 40 years in the grocery business, Richard Wardwell has had more than his fair share of interactions with customers.
“Many times over my career, I’ve been told, ‘Aww, you just sell groceries; what do you know?’ And I thought to myself, you know, I do just sell groceries, but I know more than a lot – I know how to run a grocery store, and that’s, I think, commendable.
“But when we got the letter from the state [of California] that said you’re essential for COVID, I told everybody, ‘Woohoo, we’re finally essential!’ I have that letter still, and I saved it because I’m like, ‘OK, we’re essential, Mimi.’ I’ve waited 43 years of my career to be essential.”
a stay-at-home mom until my high school years when she worked as a bookkeeper. My brothers, sisters and I would work at the ranch in Ruby Valley,
‘You can see all the energy that he has; he’s a people person’
Fernando Lopez, a 26-year company veteran, manages store No, 131 in Pico Rivera. He has managed the location, which was remodeled in 2023, for five years.
While the remodel was going on, Lopez got to see Wardwell regularly, and still sees him every couple of months or so, as he prioritizes store visits.
“You can see all the energy that he has; he’s a people person,” Lopez said. “He cares for his employees. He always asks, ‘Anything you need from me?’ And that’s one thing that stands out. He’s a man of his word.”
branding in the fall and haying in the summer.
I learned how to butcher beef and chickens while also doing any labor around the ranch, whether that be putting up fencing or fixing roofs. We had to be self-sufficient as a family, so I learned a lot of different skills from my dad and mom. When we moved into a new house in Elko, I remember forming and finishing the concrete patio, building the fence around the property, putting in the grass and many other jobs.
In addition to those skills, my mom and dad taught me how to cook. I think I still bake the best banana bread in my family. My sister, Rosie, might be a little better, but it is a close contest.
Please see page 42
Fernando
I n my work, I often talk about how to release and relieve stress. As a busy leader, what do you do to prepare your mind and body before a stressful or high-stakes meeting, talk or decision? Can you share a story or some examples?
A lot of stressful things that need immediate attention just happen out of the blue, and the way I prepare for those are the same way I prepare for the times that you know it is going to be stressful. I laugh, I take a long walk, I talk to a friend that I have not spoken to in a while, I will call one of my kids or grandkids and just take time to check in. Then I say to myself, “This too shall pass.”
In addition, I try to prepare myself to answer any questions or come up with as many solutions as possible to try and minimize the stressful times. I also take time away from the job in order to help with the stress. I love the outdoors, hunting and traveling.
I have had the good fortune of being able to hunt dove in Argentina, go fishing in Patagonia, go on a two-week African safari hunt, hunt red stagg in New Zealand and black bear in Idaho and Canada. Sometimes, things that you hope relieve stress actually cause you more.
I will tell you something that not many people know about me. In September 2022, while hunting black bear in Canada, I was charged by the bear
‘He loves to teach people, he loves to help people grow’
CFO Blake Larson has been with Superior Grocers for six years, coming from wholesaler Unified Grocers, which had supplied Superior stores.
“Rich is a very driven person. He has very high goals and aspirations,” said Larson, adding that Wardwell and Chairman Mimi Song share a similar level of intensity when it comes to wanting the company to succeed. Because of that, Song has given Wardwell the latitude to try new things and learn from those that didn’t work.
In turn, Wardwell has presented company leaders with the same latitude – provided they have a “Get Out of Jail Free” card to give him when a plan doesn’t work.
“What he’s trying to teach us is that … you learn by making decisions, making mistakes, and then fixing what you learned and moving on. If you’re too paralyzed to make mistakes, you won’t improve the company.
“He loves to teach people, he loves to help people grow,” Larson continued. “He knows how to talk to people in a way that that gives them ‘permission,’ if you will, to share what they think is going on. People feel comfortable bringing things up with him, because they know he cares, and they know that he will take action.”
As CFO, Larson talks numbers with the CEO regularly.
“[He] has a really fine-tuned sense of the numbers and what they’re doing and how actions are going to affect the numbers. He is able to pick out things that I wouldn’t even have focused on, even as the finance guy,” Larson said.
“He will push at a low level of detail because he wants to make sure that we are moving the company forward, and that we’re able to call attention to things that need to get addressed. From a CEO perspective, I’ve never seen anybody that is as close to the numbers as Rich is.”
Get Out of Jail Free card really is freeing
One of Richard Wardwell’s grocery mentors, Jim Donald, brought up the idea of presenting “Get Out of Jail Free!” card to members of the executive team. It gives them freedom to be creative, to try something new “to make Superior Grocers better/exceptional/improved” – without consequences, if things don’t work out as expected or hoped.
“If you present that card, mum’s the word, zip the lip, you’re free to move about the country,” Wardwell said. “It’s trying to give them confidence to step out of their comfort zone without having repercussions.”
He said he recently gave cards out to company executives during a quarterly meeting for setting goals.
“Let’s say you’re the vice president of bakery and you want to try a new recipe, or you want to try a new product that’s just a little out there. Instead of me going, ‘what the heck is that?,’ they’ll present me with a Get Out of Jail Free card because they wanted to try it. Everybody’s smart enough to not continue to do it if it doesn’t work, right? But they were able to get that chance to try.”
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
while in my tree stand. I had shot the bear at last legal light and the bear charged the stand. I was not strapped in and ended up falling over 20 feet to the ground. I broke seven ribs and four vertebrae. I was on the ground, broken, with a 500-pound wounded bear in close proximity – not to mention I was 30 yards away from a baiting station for other bears. I was able to get to my feet, straighten out the tree stand and make my way back up to get my phone and flashlight that were in my backpack. I called the guide for help and after about 30 minutes I was put into a vehicle and taken to a hospital two hours away. I then was transported to Winnipeg trauma unit, where they tried to patch me up. Twenty-four hours later, I left the hospital to go back to the lodge. Four days later, I was on a plane back to the USA to go to the CGA conference in Palm Springs. My team was waiting for me. I was in so much pain but was thankful to be back at work. Sometimes, vacations are more stressful than work.
Please see page 44
A SUPERMARKET RETAILER WHO WAS BORN FOR IT
“There are supermarket retailers who are in the business because of fate or family. Then, there are retailers who were born for it. In my mind, Richard Wardwell is one of the latter.
“I met Rich in a seminar one million years ago, when he worked for Raley’s as a store manager. The consummate student, Rich was totally engaged, challenging me, the instructor, with pertinent questions.
“Twenty-five years later, as I was preparing to present a seminar for the California Grocers Association, I noticed a man greeting half my audience as if he were running for mayor. Just before the start of the session, Rich came up and reintroduced himself to me as the COO of Superior Grocers.
“What he had been doing was personally greeting each and every manager he had sent from his company to the conference. I was so pleased, but not surprised, to see his ascent in our industry.
“Months later, I had the opportunity to tour one of Rich’s stores, and that’s when I knew he was born for this industry. Not only did he know the names of almost every employee, but he also knew what pack size was missing off an endcap and that a sign had a meaningful misprint that needed to be corrected.
“Additionally, every person Rich sends to one of my seven different share group sessions is top-notch and speaks proudly to be able to work with him. Richard Wardwell is the real deal, a good person and a dear friend.”
Harold Lloyd Executive consultant
Harold Lloyd Presents
Blake Larson
As you know, the United States is facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?
People’s perception is their reality; their upbringing and life experiences shape the way they act or feel about certain things, and being able to participate and bring those different ideas and experiences to the table and take part in the leadership of a company, I feel, only strengthens a company.
Many times in our company, as world events are unfolding or even things taking place in our state, having the ability to be able to go to the executive team and get valuable insight from their perspective helps us avoid unnecessary pitfalls.
From the outside looking in, I believe it shows thoughtfulness and fairness, and from the inside looking up, it gives hope and shows opportunity and growth.
In addition, hiring and maintaining a work force has changed dramatically. In order to address a changing work force, we have implemented
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
Please see page 48
Richard Wardwell addresses the crowd at a Superior Grocers’ store opening.
apprentice programs for skilled positions in the store that come with regular merit increases and increasing responsibilities.
We implemented an employee discount program for weekly shopping and daily work breaks. We encourage our employees in education and offer scholarships and participate in WAFC retail certificate programs and English at work.
We have improved our PTO benefits, revamped our disciplinary procedures and have put HR business partners in the field to work with all employees to address concerns immediately. We’ve reduced turnover and have increased our talent pool and are working on more rewards and work benefits to offer the employees.
As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.
I was told my first week on the job that it was a people business, and 42 years later that is just as true as the first time I heard it. In order to truly create that type of society, as a leader you must create paths of opportunity within the company,
Please see page 50
Dale Nakata, Superior’s VP of marketing, was looking for someone to do a TV commercial. It required someone not afraid to dance around and perhaps look a little silly. Richard Wardwell stepped in. Literally. He filmed three of them.
whether it is a new store opening or a new category to manage or even new technology that will require oversight. You have to be constantly working for that.
Before, during and after those paths are created, you have to be engaging with all people across the company to sell the opportunity and building enthusiasm among the people and really being the cheerleader to encourage them to stretch themselves to take on new roles.
I look for the people that can connect with other people no matter what they look like. If they have a desire to grow and a personality that shows leadership and commitment and compassion, they will succeed if shown the path and given the opportunity.
I have one young man I met the first month I was with Superior. Trayvon Flourney. Great personality, wonderful with people, high integrity, strong work ethic and a genuine fondness for others. I have worked with him over the years and encouraged him try new things. He wanted to grow in the company and at the time he was a produce manager.
I told him he needed to step out of that role, that I would put him in an apprentice position to learn all the roles within the store. He believed he could do it, I believed he could do it – and we did it. We put him on night crew, put him in bakery, put him in meat departments, worked him on the front end, worked him in center store, had him open the store, had him close the store and worked him in any role we could find.
One year later, we made him a store director, and he just shone through. I remember walking in with ownership to his store. The whole front end had just crashed and he knew just what to do. A lot of people would have probably faltered in the presence of ownership, but he had the whole thing back up in less than eight minutes.
Twelve months later, a specialist role came up and he applied and was promoted. Two years later, a buyer role came up and we moved him to that role. Then the company grew again and a DM role came up and he was promoted to DM – where he is today – building relationships, creating paths
From page 48
Rich Wardwell and his golfing group
Richard Wardwell with Super Grocer’s 2023 department winners
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
and showing others the way.
Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers – in fact, most people – think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
In my case, it has been to step into more of a strategic mindset and look out for current weaknesses that need to be addressed to keep the business safe and healthy while looking outward for growth opportunities and business trends.
I spend the majority of my time working with the executives on next year’s plan. I work every day on the culture within the company. It may sound corny, but as I walk around the office and I notice an office or a cubicle decorated for someone’s birthday, I stop and sing “Happy Birthday” as loud as I can in order to let them know that it is a special day and I am glad we get to celebrate.
I am a very competitive person, and I drive that competitiveness into the company ad meetings and performance meetings. I think that when someone first comes in it may seem threatening, but we are From page 50
Please see page 58
’Driven leader’ sets bar high for everybody, including himself
“Rich is driven and has a passion to win. However, his care for his team is just as great. With all the day-to-day issues we deal with, he still remembers to ask about events in our lives, wish us happy birthday and send texts on holidays. Usually, the first text I see on my birthday is from Rich,” said Chris Denney, a 35-year grocery industry veteran who has been with Superior for nearly seven years.
“Another attribute of Rich is the energy he puts into teaching and mentoring his team. He will guide us with the needed information to grow and will also allow us to push through adversity to make us stronger. He always makes himself available to bounce ideas off of and will stir creative thinking to get us to overcome issues.”
Denney, who serves as VP of operations for Region 1, said Wardwell prioritizes elevating the people at store level versus looking outside the company when positions become available.
“No one I have worked with is on the same level of growing the company and growing people within the company as Rich is,” he said.
Wardwell is the most driven leader he’s worked for, Denney said.
“He sets the bar high for everybody, including himself. So you’re always striving for excellence. You push to make sure that all your i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed, and make sure that everything is executing flawlessly.
“I think his major focus is operational efficiencies. What can we do to make less friction in the stores for both our employees and our customers?”
And Wardwell spends more time in the stores than Denney has ever seen.
“When you see Rich and you see the effort that he’s putting into things, his involvement, his being involved out in the stores, working weekends, you see that and you push yourself to replicate it,” he said.
Chris Denney
‘He’s in every aspect of our business... he cares, and he’s involved
VP of Grocery Sally Hernandez, a 40-year industry veteran, has worked most of her career at Hispanic grocery companies. She joined Superior in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting. She jokes with Wardwell that her coming on board caused sales to rise 40 percent.
She feels comfortable joking with him because it’s something he’s known for. “He’s super funny. He loves to push buttons and get a rise out of you. Loves the banter, for sure, the back and forth. And he’ll come push buttons sometimes on purpose, and I’ll look at him like, ‘You really said that?’
“Rich has a different leadership style,” she added. “He’s super-involved and super-intense. But I kind of like that, right? He’s in every aspect of our business. He knows everything about everything, and he cares, and he’s involved, and he challenges you. He pushes, and sometimes he does it for the sake of challenging. And I really don’t mind it.
“I like somebody who’s involved and knows what’s going on and continues to want to grow. And he’s super competitive. I like that about him because I, too, want to win, to be on a winning team.”
Underneath, though, is a man who cares, she said.
“I think he’s a good leader as well because he cares deeply about his people. He cares about all of us. He walks all day around the office, and if he knows it’s your birthday, you’re going to get a birthday song. And he doesn’t care if he’s going to embarrass you; that’s Rich’s style. If somebody’s out sick, he’s making sure that we’re sending flowers, that if something happened in your family, that he knows about it,
and he remembers and he cares. Even though he’s so intense, he’s a good-hearted man.”
Hernandez, who is bilingual, said that Wardwell has done his best to immerse himself in the Hispanic culture and language to better relate to headquarters staff and store team members.
“Rich comes around every morning and talks to me in Spanish, and I answer him in Spanish… he’ll ask, ‘What did you say and what did that mean?’” Hernandez said. “He can carry a conversation with me in Spanish very, very well. He’s dedicated to learning the language.
“How do you think that makes the employees feel that here’s this American gentleman learning our language so that he can communicate with us and understand our culture maybe a little bit more? To me, that’s a lot of respect for that.”
Knowing Hernandez’s long tenure in the Hispanic grocery business, Wardwell respects her opinions, always listening and willing to learn, she said. But he shares his thoughts as well.
“He brings a lot to the table, too. Rich is very good at bringing ideas, loves throwing things out there to see what we can do. It’s not just the same thing [every time].” Hernandez said Wardwell does his best to keep things in proper perspective in the business.
“He’ll say it all the time: ‘It’s just a grocery store, but it’s our grocery store.’ In other words, yes, it’s important, it’s our business, but it is just a grocery store. We’re not solving world peace or finding a cure for cancer; we’re selling groceries, but we take pride because it’s ours.”
Sally Hernandez
not trying to play “gotcha” – we are just trying to raise the bar and after a while of being in the group you come to realize we are all just trying to make it a great place to be.
What are myths you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive?
Sometimes when I introduce myself, people respond, “Oh, you’re the big boss, so everyone has to do what you say.” That can’t be further from the truth. I am fortunate enough to be in the position but realize that I have to do what our team says I have to do, not the other way around.
In most cases, I gather as much information from the team as I can in order to make an informed decision. I usually go into conversations with a pretty strong opinion on what my decision will be, but I want to have others offer their thoughts.
But let’s be honest; when you are in the role of CEO, at least in my experience, you are the last one to know things that are happening, especially bad things. People tend to want to fix things and not let all the laundry out for others to see, and by the time it comes to me it takes a lot more work to correct an unfortunate thing.
I work hard to try and stay out in front of those
things. People think that the CEO has it made, but that is not necessarily the truth. Most days I am up at 3:30 a.m., going over emails and checking sales number and department mixes, then I jump into my duolingo to practice my Spanish and then make my way to stores and the office. I walk the DC, start my first meetings at 7 a.m., then finish around 6 p.m., six days a week. I tell people I am not that smart, so I have to work twice as hard to stay ahead of the game.
I remember a funny story that someone told me. They wanted my job so they wouldn’t have to work as hard. I laughed because maybe at a time in my career I had the same thoughts working my way up the ladder.
Now, being in this position, it creates challenges beyond my imagination. My friend Erin from Save Mart told me once, “You need to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you criticize them. That way, when you do criticize them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.”
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
I always thought that once I was able to achieve this position, I would be in the know on everything in the company and be able to help. That is not the case. I am able to help, but not everyone wants you
2024 FOOD INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
to know everything that is going on.
Certainly, not everyone is cut out to be an executive. In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive?
I don’t think there is a type of person that should avoid it. I think it is very rewarding and, if you want it, go for it.
I will say it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy. You have to be a coach, a confidante and disciplinarian more times than you would like, and above all you will always have to be “on.” No dull moments, no downtime and no gaps in things to do.
I think a person will be successful if every day they give it their all, laugh every chance they can and recognize you didn’t get to where you are without a ton of people who helped. And you won’t stay there without people helping you every day.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have worked to create more jobs, worked with many charities to help children and families in Please
Richard Wardwell in the conference room with Superior Grocers’ team
need, communities that need food and water for events, sponsored mobile pet clinics to help with people’s pets and have worked with cities to help them with school or parks equipment.
I was on the board of directors at Olive Crest for some time. I really enjoyed what that organization stands for. Rhonda [Tagge] and her team at Olive Crest make a difference in people’s lives, and I was proud to be a part of that. Superior still participates, and our vice president, Sally Hernandez, sits on the board now and works with them on fundraising events.
In addition, I work with local food coalitions and food banks to make sure food supplies are present all year around, not just in the winter months.
What are your “Five Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Started”?
1. Always invest in a great pair of shoes. Because if you’re walking and working, if you don’t have a great pair of shoes your day will be miserable from your feet hurting. I learned the hard way.
2. Never vent down, always vent up; there are no secrets in retail.
3. Never get too serious about things; it’s just a grocery store.
4. Record your journey. Looking back on 40 years, I should have taken more photos and recorded more events of the people that influenced my journey the most.
5. You should meet Mimi, because she changed my life.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I went to Mimi a year ago with an idea that would cost the company money but really help the community. She didn’t hesitate to say, “Absolutely, let’s try.”
I was watching the news and the schools were out for the summer and they were saying that kids were going hungry without their school lunches. That really bothered me because I think hunger sucks.
I reached out to the LA schools around a few of our stores and offered to provide 35 to 50 meals to the kids or families they identified as the most needy so that they would at least have a meal during the summer or on the weekends when there was no school.
They haven’t been able to work with us yet
because of privacy issues, but we are still working on it and hope to start a pilot program for families or kids in our communities that are hungry.
Can you please give us your favorite “life lesson” quote and share how it’s relevant to you in your life?
“This too shall pass.” Whenever things seem out of control or that the best times or even the worst times are over, I remember that quote and realize nothing is forever and that you need to be consistent and persevere through all of life’s challenges.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in the food industry will read this. Is there a person in the world, or in the U.S., with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Shakira. I need some new dance moves. If she is unavailable, Jeff Bezos.
Miguel
Alarcon
‘He’s always on’ – Leader praised for being firm, fair, consistent
SVP of Operations Miguel Alarcon came on board at Superior Grocers after Wardwell, so Alarcon interviewed with him several times before the deal was sealed.
“One of the things that struck me about him was just he’s easygoing, easy to talk to, approachable. After a lot of conversation, I made the decision to come on board, and I believe it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made,” Alarcon said.
“His leadership style is very direct and to the point; there’s really no beating around the bush. You ultimately know what he’s asking you to do, and he supports you and motivates you to get it done.”
Alarcon said the fact that Wardwell is a white man running a Hispanic grocery company actually encouraged him to want to join Superior.
“I wanted to be part of his team, because I felt that’s where I could probably help,” he said. “But all in all, I was really impressed with how much he knew for the limited time he’d been exposed to it.
“I think that [diversity] makes us strong, because you have a lot of different insight and a lot of different viewpoints.”
Wardwell is very hands-on, visiting stores more than any leader Alarcon has worked for. In fact, Alarcon tells Wardwell he’s “just different” because he’s “an operator by heart.”
“He is driven. He’s competitive. He’s involved in lots of conversation with everybody, no matter what level. I tell him all the time, that’s why you’re successful, because you have your hands in everything.
“If I had to describe his leadership in three words, it would be firm, fair and consistent. He’s always on.”
‘He’s already aware what is happening at every single store’
Mari Mani has been with Superior Grocers for nearly 31 years, starting as a temp through an agency. She was supposed to work for a few months, but that temp job has turned into a successful career.
As VP of Meat, she is responsible for the meat and seafood programs at Superior – two very important departments at all 73 stores, as they account for 20 percent of sales.
In 10 years of working with Wardwell, Mani has observed his leadership, passion, kindness and friendliness, adding that sometimes it seems he never sleeps because he accomplishes so much and knows so much about what’s going on.
“Some people call him a micromanager; I don’t see it that way. I feel like he’s person that cares. And like a father, he’s 24/7, and he likes to be part of every single team,” she said.
Mani said you might share something with him that’s happening at one of the stores and, chances are, he already knows about it.
“If you tell him something about No. 701 or No. 101, he won’t be surprised, because he’s already aware what is happening at every single store.”
He also takes time every morning to speak to every team member in the corporate office and distribution center and sing a rousing “Happy Birthday” to those celebrating one that day.
Mani said Wardwell leads from the front, “pulling the entire team, not allowing the team to give up, even though sometimes you feel you’re tired. He has that power ... to encourage. And the way that I have seen him [do that] and learned from him, I’ve tried to take it to my team.
“I like to work for him because I know the passion that he has, and I know that he likes to win. We are very similar – that pride, feeling good that you are succeeding and you are going on the right path. He allows you to be your own manager, and make your own decisions, be able to fail and to get up, learn from your mistakes.
“He’s not the type of person that he’s going to tell you, ‘I want things to be this way.’ He’s going to allow you to come with a plan, to elaborate the plan, to execute the plan. He might know already that we are going to fail, but he allows us to learn.”
LEADER WHO UNDERSTANDS, EMBRACES TEAMWORK
“Congratulations on your introduction to the Food Industry Hall of Fame. And so well deserved.
“Your passion for the business equals your passion for your company associates and, of course, your customers. As you and I have always discussed, great leaders have one trait in common. Their IQ equals their EQ. Keep leading like you do, Richard. Every day. All the best.”
Mari Mani
Jim Donald Co-chairman of the board and former president and CEO, Albertsons Cos.
