Chief Executive Officer

The Carlisle Group is pleased to be conducting a retained search for the next Chief Executive Officer of Grain Train Natural Foods Markets in Petoskey, Michigan.

The Grain Train Natural Food Markets are cooperatively owned grocery stores that specialize in natural, local, and organic products. For nearly five decades, they have been committed to providing our community with the best in local and organic foods and products. “Our cooperative is more than just a grocery store; it’s a place where everyone is welcome, and our shelves are stocked with everyday items that reflect our dedication to quality, health, and environmental stewardship.

We employ between 30-40 staff with annual sales of $8-9 million combined from our two locations. We are small but mighty, making most of this happen in our main store of only 6,000 square feet.

Our organization is poised for growth and expansion with stable sales, respectable cash reserves, and experienced managers. Most importantly our community is hungry (pun intended) for more of what we offer. Like many co-ops we are looking to reach more customers and provide them with a wider range of products and the best customer experience. We are looking for a leader to help refine our vision and make it a reality!

Our location is a premiere four season resort region in the northern tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula. Our main store and offices are located in Petoskey, on the shores of Lake Michigan, while our satellite store, in Boyne City, is situated along inland Lake Charlevoix. Both small towns have economies largely based on the service and tourism industries.

The combination of scenic beauty, fresh water, and outdoor recreation make for a high quality of life that is attractive to wellness focused people. These characteristics pair well with the products we sell and have allowed our store to thrive.

Petoskey, Michigan is nestled on the southern shore of Little Traverse Bay. Petoskey is a charming Midwestern resort town known for its Victorian architecture, enchanting B&Bs, and stunning lakeshore views. As the largest settlement in Emmet County, it offers a unique blend of small-town warmth and cultural richness. Petoskey is also renowned for its stunning natural surroundings, including the breathtaking views of Little Traverse Bay. Residents enjoy all four seasons, from colorful autumns and snowy winters to vibrant springs and warm summers. The area is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, with opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, fishing, and hunting for the famous Petoskey stones along Lake Michigan’s shores.

As the CEO of Grain Train Natural Food Cooperative, you will lead the cooperative to achieve the ends policies decided by the board of directors. You will be the driving force behind the mission to inspire well-informed healthy choices that support both people and the planet. Your leadership will ensure that a wide range of customers have access to healthy food and wellness products, and that our employees work in a safe, respectful, and professional environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure achievement of organizational results as defined in ends policies.
• Avoid unacceptable conditions as defined in executive limitation policies.
• Make all decisions, create operational policies, and authorize engagements consistent with board policy.
• Evaluate performance through systematic monitoring of expectations established in policies.

Reporting Relationships

The CEO reports to the board of directors, elected by the co-operative members. The board uses Policy Governance, a system that emphasizes vision, and values empowerment and accountability. The board uses policy to define the results the CEO is expected to achieve within defined limits of prudence and ethics. The CEO has the authority to hire, direct, structure, and evaluate all other staff.

Qualifications

Management Skills

Retail grocery experience: As at least a store or operations manager. Familiar with how stores operate to meet goals, understands key metrics. Knows enough about administrative departments to effectively manage them.

Building and leading teams: Effectively eases the formation of teams by creating a climate of trust, encouraging information sharing, active collaboration, and teamwork.

Managing people: Has experience of managing managers. Makes good hiring decisions. Inspires people to do their best through performance feedback, recognition, timely coaching and guidance, and proper delegation of work.

Financial management: Knows the meaning of financial variables, how to find them, and how to place them in a business context. Creates and uses meaningful business and financial reports. Creates, and manages to, operating, capital, and cash budgets. Knows how to adjust key operational variables to respond to negative trends.

Entrepreneurial Skills

Visioning: Creates and proposes a compelling vision with goals. Uses data to show accomplishment.

Strategic thinking: Thinks conceptually, imaginatively and systematically about the co-op's success, while considering the big picture and the long term.

Business planning: Takes vision and strategies and turns them into operational plan(s) aligned to Ends/mission, vision and values.

Change management: Effectively implements organizational and business changes through thoughtful planning, engaging stakeholders in strategizing, communicating the vision, and measuring success.

Personal / Interpersonal Skills

Stakeholder alignment: Explores various positions and viewpoints with listening and empathy, to reach outcomes that gain acceptance of all parties. Enables stakeholders to move in the same direction through thoughtful communications and developing common interests.

Service mindset: Creates and inspires a service-oriented environment with care and attention to both internal and external customer service.

Accountability for self: Willing to be held accountable. Listens to feedback without defensiveness. Takes ownership and accepts responsibility for actions, decisions and impacts.

Willingness to ask for help: Values outside expertise, knows their limits, and is comfortable seeking support from others or delegating tasks.

Impartiality: Maintains a non-partisan position on political and social issues, respectfully approaches situations and people with equal fairness and objectivity.