Get All Access for $5/mo

Free Webinar | May 16: How to Grow with Purpose Want to scale your business without compromising the values that inspired you to start in the first place? Then register now for our free webinar as Whole Food Market's CEO, Jason Buechel, shares his key strategies.

By Jason Nazar

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How does a business grow successfully without losing its ideal mission, vision and values? In the next episode of our Leadership Lessons series, host Jason Nazar sits down with the CEO of a multinational supermarket chain synonymous with the words healthy, local and organic. As one of the youngest CEOs to ever lead a successful retailer, Jason Buechel oversees more than 100,000 Whole Foods Market employees across 546 stores in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. He joined the Austin, Tex.-based chain in 2013 as Global VP and CIO where he was responsible for all aspects of IT and digital innovation, ushering in large-scale initiatives that played a critical role in the growth of the business. He later served as COO, providing operational leadership over the grocery chain's 500-plus locations.

In addition to sharing the biggest leadership lessons he's learned from his impressive 15-year career, Buechel will dive into other topics including:

  • The Stakeholder Engagement Model

  • Balancing Growth and Profit with Purpose

  • The Better-for-You Value Proposition for Customers

  • The Theatre of Retail

  • Achieving Work-life Balance

Don't miss out—register now!

Register Now

About The Speakers

Jason Buechel serves as CEO of Whole Foods Market. He previously served as COO, providing operational leadership for over 546 locations across the U.S., Canada and the U.K., overseeing the company's technology, supply chain and distribution, store real estate and design, and Team Member Services (HR) functions. He joined the company in 2013 as Global VP and CIO where he was responsible for all aspects of IT and digital innovation, as well as ushering in large-scale IT initiatives that played a critical role in the growth of the business. Prior to WFM, Jason served as Managing Director/Partner within Accenture's Retail Operations Practice, where he worked with leading retailers on strategic business and technology transformation. Jason holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Jason Nazar is a serial tech entrepreneur, advisor, and investor with two successful exits. He was most recently co-founder/CEO of workplace culture review platform Comparably (acquired by ZoomInfo), and previously co-founder/CEO of Docstoc (acquired by Intuit). Jason was named LA Times' Top 5 CEOs of Midsize Companies (2020), LA Business Journal's Most Admired CEOs (2016), and appointed inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence for the city of Los Angeles (2016-2018). He holds a B.A. from the University of California Santa Barbara and his JD and MBA from Pepperdine University. He currently teaches Entrepreneurship as an adjunct professor at UCLA.

Jason Nazar

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® VIP

Comparably Co-Founder & Serial Tech Entrepreneur

Jason Nazar is a serial tech entrepreneur, investor and advisor with two successful exits under his belt. Most recently he was co-founder/CEO of Comparably (acquired by ZoomInfo), a leading workplace culture and employee review site. Prior to that, he was founder/CEO of Docstoc (acquired by Intuit).

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

At Age 15, He Used Facebook Marketplace to Start a Side Hustle — Then It Became Something Much Bigger: 'Raised Over $1.6 Million'

Dylan Zajac, now a 21-year-old senior at Babson College, wanted to bridge the digital divide.

Side Hustle

'I Just Hustled': She Earned More Than $300,000 Wrapping Gifts Last Year — and It All Started With a Side Hustle

When Michelle Hensley lost her husband to cancer, she needed to figure out how to earn an income for her family.

Franchise

McDonald's Announces the Return of the Snack Wrap in 2025 — Here's What to Expect From Its Comeback

The decision comes after years of persistent customer demand for the portable snack, which debuted nearly two decades ago.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

OpenAI Just Released Its Text-to-Video Generator, Sora. Here's How the New AI Could Impact Small Businesses and Creators.

Sora has a variety of use cases for businesses, from social media campaigns to video creation.

Innovation

These Entrepreneurs Created a League That Turns Gamers Into Pro Race Car Drivers: 'We're Giving Drivers a Sustainable Career Path'

Racing Prodigy's innovative E2Real sports league is lowering the high-cost barrier to entry for drivers to take their passion to the track.