Category A: Michael Siakpere Skogen’s Festival Foods, Eau Claire, WI 

Michael Siakpere won’t let anything rain on his parade when it comes to serving shoppers. From an outdoor store event that he successfully brought indoors during a heavy downpour to emerging circumstances threatening to cut into profits, this store director at Skogen’s Festival Foods in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, continually strives to meet his goals and engenders a similarly driven mindset among employees. 

Always Reaching for Excellence

One of his often-repeated mantras is “We do excellence here.” For Siakpere, who worked as a guest service representative and assistant store director before ascending to his current role, that means aiming for excellence instead of an unrealistic expectation of perfection.  He believes that knowing that you tried your absolute best allows you to hold your head up high.  

He leads the pursuit of excellence at many levels throughout the store, starting with the fundamentals of cleanliness, accurate signage/pricing and stock levels. While his standards are high and he holds his team to them, the location Siakpere manages has had low turnover because of his collaborative approach that includes regular one-on-one meetings with staff leaders and willingness to give employees the tools they need to succeed. His buck-stops-with-me philosophy and keen sense of humor are also appreciated. 

An Entrepreneurial Spirit

Under his leadership, the Eau Claire location has grown steadily in recent years. Year-over-year sales increased 8.5% at a time when overall grocery sales have been flat, and this location’s EBITDA as a percentage of sales rose 3.22% in 2019.  Overall satisfaction scores for the store increased across every category, and he oversaw the extension into a new category with the addition of an in-store Caribou Coffee.  

There is no resting on any laurels for this grocery manager, who challenges himself and those around him to get creative on new initiatives and outdo themselves in their ongoing efforts. 

These efforts include raising the visibility of the store in the area and giving back to the community: Siakpere is president of the local Boys and Girls Club and also volunteers his time for a student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management careers.  He even puts a little festival into Festival Foods, getting his store involved in a major Wisconsin musical festival called Country Jam.