Kwaku Bampo
Kwaku Bampo who goes by KK is a very dialled-in supervisor. With a lot of different jobs to do during a typical shift at the Edmonton warehouse, the inbound team lead for produce has a reputation for deftly managing the many demands of the workday and doing it with professionalism and respect. KK says keeping tabs on all the elements is one of the most satisfying aspects of his job. “My favourite part is dealing with all the parts that make this inbound process come together dealing with carriers, dealing with receivers, dealing with our forklift operators and understanding what their needs are to get the work done,” says KK, who has been at the warehouse for 11 years. His focus is workplace and food handling safety. “We want to ensure a safe environment so we go home and do it again the next day,” he says. “It’s also important that everything gets into stores safely so our customers can enjoy it on their dinner tables.”
Jennifer Barrett
When wildfires threatened 100 Mile House and neighbouring communities in June 2017, Jennifer and her family evacuated to Kamloops. Concerned about her co-workers, she did everything she could to stay in contact. When the town asked for access to the store in order to feed more than 300 emergency workers, Jennifer contacted her manager, who was away, and he called his boss. “He said whatever they need in those four walls, give it to them,” recalls Jennifer. Eventually Jennifer was allowed back into town to help so she made the difficult decision to bring her family so they wouldn’t be separated. “I’m driving our family back and ash and sparks are hitting our vehicle,” says an emotional Jennifer. “All these people are caravanning out and … there’s nobody on the road going in.” Jennifer and another team member worked day and night to feed emergency workers and when the danger passed, they prepared the store for their returning neighbours. “I did what I had to do.”
Paul Barter
When a customer called Paul Barter to ask how to return some cheese that had turned out to be moldy, the store manager offered even more than a refund for the ruined dinner. He immediately delivered a full meal of pasta, sauce, garlic bread and of course cheese to their home. “We had an opportunity to make it right, so we did,” says Paul. As the manager of his Saint John store for 28 years, Paul takes his core value to heart. “I tell my employees, we’re in the customer service business and we want to be known as the best place to shop in town.” Sobeys is a family affair for Paul, who was hired just shy of his 16th birthday. “You have to think of every customer as your mother, your father, your sister, your brother. If we think that way, we’re going to care for every person who comes through the door.”
Abdelkader Chérif Benrekia
Abdelkader speaks fondly of his parents, who he says sacrificed everything so that he could have a brighter future. With their support, he emigrated from Algeria to Canada, but he soon found himself alone. That is, until he found his second family Sobeys. “For me,” he says, “Sobeys is a family. Over the years I have worked for the company, I can say I have made two or three close friends that have practically become new members of my family.” For Abdelkader, the strength of Sobeys is in its people, who have inspired him and who he seeks to inspire. That’s why, for him, it’s important to treat everyone with respect, to seek out their expertise, and value their opinions something he strives to do every day. “Our unity is our strength,” he says, like any family. “My Sobeys,” he says, “is my second family, a place to transform my dreams into reality.”
Fatima Borba
If you’re working a shift at Safeway store #4821 in Winnipeg and things aren’t going smoothly, you should hope Fatima Borba is working that day. With a reputation for helpfulness, knowledge of multiple departments and willingness to go the extra mile, she is the one to call when there’s a problem, say colleagues, including one co-worker who was in a frenzy one night when her deposit didn’t add up. “I was panicking because I had no idea what had gone wrong,” she said. “Fatima was a great help and stayed in the cash office with me until we had figured it out.” It’s not surprising that Fatima is a great problem solver as the self-described “den mother” wears many hats at the store, including training, customer service, cashier and working in the cash and file offices. “My favourite part of what I do is the ability to do just more than one thing. It never becomes monotonous for me.”
Richard B. Boutin
Richard is the kind of employee all employers dream of. For almost 30 years, he has been a truck driver for the Québec division, and he now trains new drivers. He instills in them the values of the company and teaches them safety and best practices, both on the road and in-store. “For me, getting things done with passion and integrity is about embracing modernization, new ways of working, improving current work methods,” he says. However, what truly defines Richard is his pride as a Sobeys employee. He lives for the customer and the customer’s satisfaction, and respect is crucial. “You must care about your work, because you have to work as a team, and to work as a team you have to demonstrate that you love what you do.” “My Sobeys is an employer who deserves my respect and who shows us the same respect towards employees.”
Michelle Braaten
As a wellbeing counselor, Michelle is all about bringing the extras to the table. On top of delivering high standards to the department she manages, she takes on extra duties like teaching classes to the public, being the go-to champion for most of the campaigns throughout the year, and loves interacting with the customers about health and wellness. Michelle is inspired to bring extra effort to the job because she works in the first Sobeys Extra in Saskatchewan. “I’ve been blown away with the new concept supporting food, health and wellness and a company willing to provide these initiatives to their customers,” she says. “I’m most proud of our team and how we work together to make these opportunities successful.” She loves working on projects that give back to the community, like cooking at Ronald McDonald House, raising money for the Saskatoon Food Bank, and attending events on the store’s behalf.
Robert Buonincontro
When the Load Planning team needs a hand, they call on Robert Buonincontro, who has a reputation for taking on extra duties. He is credited with jumping in on numerous projects, including the dedicated network splitter, the Canpar shipping initiative, JDA set up and compliance, reporting structure and numerous other huge load planning initiatives. And he does all this on top of his regular daily duties. “I strive to get it done right and on time,” says Robert. “Tell me what you want done and then leave me alone to do it.” Colleagues say he takes pride in his work and it shows. “Robert is a true asset and a great part of the team dynamic,” a co-worker says. Robert says his proudest moment on the job was when he was promoted five years ago from his first position as a loader and “got to show my other skills.”
Michelle Burke
Michelle loves to help patients live their healthiest, happiest lives. And when that patient is a regular, the satisfaction is that much greater. “I got a call from a favourite customer. We call him our work poppy because he’s like our grandfather,” says Michelle. The elderly gentleman wasn’t feeling well but wasn’t sure what was going on so Michelle suggested he come to the store to get his blood pressure checked. “When he got here, he said he felt tightness in his chest. Since he had no family to contact, I said I would take him down to the hospital.” Michelle stayed with the customer until he was admitted about 2 a.m. and was told that he needed a pacemaker. Although that experience stands out, proud moments happen every day at the pharmacy, says Michelle. “My Sobeys is a place where I get to do what I love every day.”
Kimberley Burnett
One very hot day, an older customer asked Kim Burnett to call her a taxi. About 20 minutes later, Kim noticed the woman was still waiting outside in the sun, so she got her a drink of water, encouraged her to wait inside and recalled the cab company to check on the arrival of the car. Since then, the very thankful customer seeks Kim out as she clearly appreciated the extra effort taken for her that day. “She’s a sweet, dear lady. We help her out all the time.” For Kim, who has worked at Sobeys for 27 years, customer service is the best part of the job. I think that’s why you stay at a job as long as you do. I’ve always worked retail and I love my customers,” she says. “My customers mean the world to me.” Kim says she has a particular fondness for their older customers. “We’re all going to be seniors someday and they appreciate the help.”
