Mark Ferrari’s associates and customers might find it surprising that the Kroger QFC grocery store manager once considered himself introverted.
“I was a pretty shy kid growing up,” Ferrari said. “It was never my goal to be a leader of people or be social.”
However, once he started a job as a courtesy clerk at a QFC at age 16, Ferrari began to break out of his shell. Over the next three decades, he steadily advanced, driven by mentors who recognized his potential and his commitment to personal growth.
“QFC and the grocery industry gave me an opportunity to use my experience and to pull out and complete the story of my career and my life so far,” Ferrari said.
This year, Ferrari was honored by FMI – The Food Industry Association with not one, but two Store Manager Awards – annual awards that recognize managers who excel in sales growth, team leadership, communication of company goals, exceptional customer service and community relations.
“Store managers are essential leaders in the food industry, combining business savvy, customer service and social skills to create a store environment where the local community finds the food they want and the connections they seek,” said FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin. “This year’s Store Manager Awards winners show us what exceptional leadership looks like in action , and their stories remind us that food retail is not just managing supply chains and maintaining an attractive storefront; it’s a business of caring for people and serving a community.”
Here, Ferrari, along with fellow 2026 Store Manager Award winners Jim Hensel of Oregon Dairy and Kanchan Rijal of SPAR Paceville in Malta, share their leadership journeys, the best advice they ever received and how teen jobs at grocery stores launched fulfilling – and award-winning – careers.
Mark Ferrari, QFC/The Kroger Family of Companies, Puget Sound, Wash.
FMI Store Manager Category C (250+ stores) Award winner, People’s Pick Award winner
As a young teen, Mark Ferrari wanted to be a professional baseball player. He soon realized, though, that that career was not one that would pan out. However, Ferrari carried his competitive nature and desire to win with him into the grocery industry – all the way from his job as a bagger at age 16 to the store manager position he holds today.
“My favorite part of my job is winning,” Ferrari said. “I’m very competitive.”
That competitive nature has served Ferrari – and his QFC store in Puget Sound, Wash. – well. Each month, as the store charts key performance indicators, Ferrari works to ensure the store scores 100 percent in every category – from retention and best practices to controllable expenses and labor.
“Last period we missed on our ecommerce perfect orders, so I got with the department leader for ecommerce and said, ‘How are we going to hit this number next period?’” Ferrari said. “We kept moving forward with all of the nine things that we hit the goals on, and we began working on the 10th. Nothing’s final for two more weeks, but it’s looking like we nailed it.”
That approach is one Ferrari learned through discipline and time, and varies quite a bit from his early days in the industry.
“When I first started grocery, it was like I was just this this this maniac running all over the place trying to make everything happen, and I I quickly learned that I was going to burn out and it was not going to end well for me,” he said. “So I started working with people and telling them why we’re doing what we’re doing, and how to achieve our goals, and that’s what’s made all the difference. I can’t do everything, and no one person can do everything. It’s a team sport where 100% represents 117 people achieving the goals.”
That shift in focus is one Ferrari attributes, in part, to the book, “The Four Agreements” by Don Ruiz.
“It changed my perspective on life,” Ferrari said. “I read it, and I was like, ‘That’s what I’ve been missing.’ My perception had been that when people were underperforming, it was a personal attack on me, and I was taking that personally. That book helped me to quit making assumptions about people and meet people where they’re at, but then never go below that standard that we’re trying to set.”
Words of wisdom from a mentor early in his career also shaped Ferrari into the leader he is today.
“I had one mentor tell me, ‘It’s like we’re in the people business. We just happen to sell groceries,’ and so that put it all in perspective for me,” Ferrari said. “People are our greatest asset for sure, and the most rewarding part of my day is to work alongside people.
That’s why Ferrari works hard to remove barriers for his employees.
“If we remove barriers, people that are on the right path will have everything it takes to soar, and people that are underperforming or are just kind of here for a paycheck, will either join the team or move along,” Ferrari said. “I’m not perfect. I’m still learning. I don’t have it all down. I think if I’m at this for another 30 years, I’ll become a master.”
Jim Hensel, Oregon Dairy, Lititz, Penn.
Category A Award winner (1-49 stores)
Jim Hensel’s experience in the grocery industry spans decades, starting as a bagger at his local grocery store at age 16 and progressing through various roles, including produce manager and perishable foods manager, before becoming store manager at Oregon Dairy in Lititz, Penn. Though a career in food retailing wasn’t exactly what Hensel had in mind after he graduated from high school.
“I went to college to become a mechanical engineer,” Hensel said. “I got about two years in, and the calculus was just over my head, and I had other things that I was aspiring to do in life, so I ended up dropping out of college. My dad reluctantly blessed that, but I remember him telling me, ‘You will not get anywhere in life without working very hard.’ To this day, that’s probably the best piece of advice that anyone ever gave me.”
In addition to hard work, Hensel credits his success to perseverance, adaptability and a focus on people — both customers and staff. He emphasizes the importance of not giving up on ideas and of learning from failure, and his collaborative approach has driven significant improvements, including store remodels and operational innovations.
For instance, under his direction, the store’s meat and seafood counters reduced shrinkage by turning fresh meat and seafood into ready-to-eat gourmet meals – a move that has been highly successful with shoppers.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to do something and failed, and I try again with a little bit different approach,” Hensel said. “I might fail again, and I might walk away from it for a year, but I’ll go back, and I’ll try it again because I really believe in whatever it is. And I have found that, if you shine the right light on something, you can just make it click. All of a sudden, it just lights up and works.”
That was a lesson Hensel put to the test when he considered an extensive store remodel that opened up what had been a narrow doorway connecting the market side of the store and its attached family restaurant. After much consideration and planning that didn’t pan out, Hensel led a charge to expand the doorway to a 10-foot-wide corridor that not only vastly improved store flow but also increased foot traffic into what is now a customer-loved gift shop.
“Always aim high, and if it fails, don’t be afraid to say it failed,” Hensel said. “Know when to do a U-turn, and then don’t be afraid to come back and try again with a fresh perspective.”
Hensel’s leadership has also guided the store through challenges related to issues like staffing and COVID-19.
“COVID was a real challenge, but I mean, honestly, as as horrible as it was for everybody and as challenging as it was to get through, it taught an entire generation how to cook, and it’s helped the food industry to to be a little better because, while we’ve made some mistakes, we learned when it was time to wave the surrender flag and try something new,” he said.
Kanchan Rijal, SPAR Paceville, St. Julians, Malta
Category D (International Retailers)
Before he started working in the grocery industry, Kanchan Rijal always loved the feeling he had when visiting a good grocery store.
“What stood out to me was how the staff treated customers almost like family,” Rijal said. “It created a welcoming environment where people felt comfortable and looked after. Seeing that made me want to be part of the industry.”
Rijal liked the idea of helping customers, building relationships with people and giving something back to the community.
“For me, grocery retail is not only about selling products, it is about creating an environment where customers feel welcome and valued,” he said.
Rijal joined SPAR Malta in 2019 as an entry-level sales assistant and quickly rose through the ranks to supervisor, trainee manager and then store manager, before becoming the company’s first multi-store manager. Today, he is the first manager within SPAR Malta to oversee multiple 24/7 stores, including stores in some of the busiest locations in Malta – a role that involves meeting the expectations of a diverse customer base consisting of different cultures and languages.
“I learned that the best way to manage this challenge is to listen and understand the person in front of you. Rather than treating every customer in exactly the same way, I try to understand what they actually need and then find the best possible solution with the products and services available in our stores,” Rijal said. “Ultimately, every customer wants to feel that they have been noticed, listened to and respected, not that they are simply another number walking through the door.”
Rijal attributes much of his success to a strong work ethic and the advice he received early in his career: “Work as if you own the shop, not as if you are simply working in it.”
“One of the greatest lessons I learned was to treat the store as if it were your own business. When you take that kind of ownership, you pay attention to everything, from customer service and product availability to cleanliness and teamwork,” he said. “I also learned how important it is to make customers feel at home. A grocery store is somewhere people may visit every day, so creating that welcoming feeling can turn a simple shopping trip into a positive experience.”
Leadership and mentorship are at the heart of Rijal’s approach as a manager. He emphasizes the importance of helping others grow, finding great satisfaction in seeing supervisors and assistant managers develop their skills and take on more responsibility.
“My advice to anyone starting a career in food retail would be simple: Give 110%, work hard, believe in yourself, stay humble and always try to remain positive,” Rijal said. “Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom, because every position teaches you something that you will need later in your career. Most importantly, you have to enjoy what you do. When you genuinely care about your work, your customers and your team, people can see it. Success does not happen overnight, but with passion, consistency and the right attitude, the results will eventually speak for themselves.”
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