CARTERET, N.J. -- Eileen Scott, chief executive officer of Pathmark Stores, told SN the industry's advancement of women and minorities is evolutionary, a process that has been too slow.
Yes, she has seen industry attitudes and women change in the 25 years since she was an assistant store manager. Then, she said, "you could count us on one hand. I still don't think there are enough women in senior- and executive-level positions in the industry."
The nature of the grocery business has been a big barrier. Scott acknowledged the business is male-dominated. She attested to the tough working conditions, long hours and physical requirements often needed at store level. The industry traditionally has rewarded those who have earned their spurs and worked their way from the ground up. Scott said this is a system she still values.
No one has done a better job of working their way up than Scott, who began her career at age 16 while still in high school; she worked as a store clerk. "It's a business that is very challenging and requires a wide degree of disciplines in order to be successful," she said.
It is also a people business, Scott pointed out. The people factor is the reason Scott said she has spent her entire career at Pathmark and why she is attracted to grocery retailing. "At Pathmark, we have over 26,000 associates and almost 2.5 million customers coming through our doors on a weekly basis. Helping people, helping communities, and making a profit for our shareholders are all good objectives."
For Scott, the makeup of Pathmark's management should reflect Pathmark's customer base. "When you look at our customer base, it is so diverse as should our management base be.
"We've made a lot of inroads, particularly at the department management level. But in my opinion, we have a long way to go," she said.
To improve advancement opportunities at Pathmark, Scott said she is looking throughout the entire organization. "I think that we absolutely should have more women and minorities as department managers, assistant store managers, store managers and district managers -- right up to the vice president level. One day, I hope there is another woman CEO at Pathmark."
What has changed in the last 25 years to help women advance is the resolve of women themselves, said Scott. "Women have become more involved in investing in their careers than maybe occurred 25 years ago."
She also credits some "open-minded men" in the industry who have recognized talented women and promoted them.
Scott endorsed the mentoring system in advancing people through the ranks of the organization. Pathmark has mentoring programs at the store level and at the corporate office. At store level, every manager is responsible for mentoring people within his or her store to move up from department managers to assistant store managers to store mangers, and "that mentoring specifically involves minorities as well as women," said Scott.
However, companies like Pathmark are starting to recruit talent from outside the company as well. Asked if someone coming out of the university with an MBA would have to start at the ground floor at Pathmark, Scott said, "No, you would not. That is part of the evolution ... We have certainly brought folks into our organization out of college, and put them through training programs, and they have moved on to become very good managers in our organization."
Eileen Scott CEO
Pathmark, Carteret, N.J.
Eileen Scott can be called a true mentor for women wanting to advance in food retailing. She is one of many women in the industry who heads a large food retailing organization, comprised of 26,000 associates at Pathmark Stores. She knows the business inside out, having worked her way up from a cashier position while still in high school.
After graduating from William Paterson University in 1976, Scott, now 51, entered Pathmark's Management Training Program and became an assistant store manager. Moving to corporate headquarters, she held several management positions involving the company's fresh departments. In 1994, she was named vice president of sales and advertising, and was subsequently named senior vice president of nonfoods and pharmacy, completing her management exposure to every merchandising department in Pathmark.
In 1997, Scott became executive vice president of merchandising and distribution. Four years later, she was named executive vice president of store operations.
She was named CEO in October 2002.
Scott is a member of Pathmark's board of directors and is a board member of Dollar Tree Stores and the Food Bank for New York City. She is an executive committee member of the Food Marketing Institute and the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers University.
