There has been quite a bit of conversation surrounding the nomination of Andy Puzder to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. As someone who has followed and been inspired by Mr. Puzder’s continued success, I would like to take the opportunity to share my perspective and hopefully right some of the inaccuracies being floated about him and his record of leadership.
There has been quite a bit of conversation surrounding the nomination of Andy Puzder to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. As someone who has followed and been inspired by Mr. Puzder’s continued success, I would like to take the opportunity to share my perspective and hopefully right some of the inaccuracies being floated about him and his record of leadership.
I am the President of Rosati’s Pizza Franchise, an Illinois-based chain of pizzerias with more than 200 locations in 17 states. Although Rosati’s is a small business compared to the footprint of CKE, which Puzder has led for the last sixteen years, there are numerous similarities and several important lessons I’ve learned from Mr. Puzder when it comes to leading a franchise company, despite the difference in our size.
When Mr. Puzder took the reins of CKE, the company was in bad shape, yet in quick order he was able turn it around. His knowledge and leadership armed him with the necessary know-how to develop new strategies for not only growth, but improving the company culture. In knowing and acknowledging that a satisfied workforce is a productive and efficient workforce, Mr. Puzder placed a constant emphasis on listening to his workforce and acting on what he heard. In addition to steering the company out of the red, he dedicated himself to fostering a positive culture – with an eye towards maintaining it well into the future. This proved to be an impressive and successful strategy and is one that many of us in the industry continue to follow today.