Leadership 101 Students Meet with COO of Wakefern, Joe Sheridan
The Class of 2020 met with Joe Sheridan, President and COO of Wakefern Food Corporation.
On Monday November 7th, the Class of 2020 met with Joe Sheridan, President and Chief Operating Officer, Wakefern Food Corporation. The meeting started with Mr. Sheridan handing out two books; Not Quite What I was Planning and The Five Temptations of a CEO. Mr. Sheridan explained to the group that the first book, Not Quite What I was Planning, was a collection of six word memoir. He then challenged the team to create a six-word memoir that describes and captures their life.
After introductions, Mr. Sheridan shared with the students a presentation he had given to Wakefern’s shareholders the week before which detailed the future of Wakefern. We were introduced to the company’s competitors, such as Blue Apron and Amazon Pantry, and how ShopRite can truly compete with them in the now hugely digital world. He mentioned that ShopRite is the fifth largest online grocer, a huge accomplishment for the company during the 4th industrial revolution. ShopRite is planning to grow by becoming more adaptable to the new digital world. Mr. Sheridan also shared an interactive computer system named Watson, and gave the class a demonstration of how Watson can be used for having a discussion about ShopRite with it.
Mr. Sheridan also discussed the importance of the value system within the ShopRite community. The company lives by the standard that in order to win, they must engage, inspire, and connect with their associates and customers. They do this by creating a culture of community in their stores as well as online through social media. ShopRite is all about its customers. He ended the night with advice for the freshmen students as they enter into their future careers: never put “tasks before people, ” and remember that “work/life balance isn’t a time- it’s a rhythm.” Mr. Sheridan truly inspired the entire room to never give up on their dreams, and to do what they love.