WOMEN AT
24
THE TOP
Sheri Miksa
CEO, Mazzio’s
How has your life experience
made you the leader you are
today? During high school, I lived
in Alaska on the side of a mountain
in a house with no heat and no running water. During the peak of the
Trans-Alaska Pipeline construction
in Prudhoe Bay, I began working in
accounting and concurrently completed my undergraduate degree in
psychology. Post-BA, I was selected
to run the 1,900-bed union hotel operation there. I had larger goals and
left Prudhoe Bay to earn an MBA
at Stanford. Post-MBA, I worked in
brand management and then returned
to operations in the restaurant industry, where I spent many years. I have
led a number of legacy brands with
tremendous history and heritage, so I
know the value of teams with passion
and deep tenure. Personally, I’ve lost
a lot of people I love to cancer, so I
truly cherish relationships with people
I care about. I almost lost my husband
when he was hit by a car while cycling
in Southern California. His 100 percent
recovery was miraculous and gave me
a completely different outlook on life.
As he says, “Every day is a bonus day.”
Advice for young female CEO
aspirants: Take on stretch assign-
ments, diversify functionally, take on
roles with P&L responsibility, find a
mentor/be a mentor. Also find a sponsor (someone at a senior level who can
advocate for you).
Leadership style: Lead from the
front, “by example,” inclusionary, decisive, fact-based, celebrate greatness,
expect accountability.
Was becoming CEO of an organization part of your professional
plan? Leading an organization was,
not specifically being a CEO.
What do you love most about being CEO? Helping people achieve
SYSTEM REVENUE: $115 million-plus,
Mazzio’s LLC (Mazzio’s Italian Eatery and
Oliveto Italian Bistro)
NO. OF UNITS: 143
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
GROWTH PLANS: TBD (I just started)
Role models? My father, a dear friend
I worked with in Alaska, and multiple
restaurant industry CEOs.
Management gurus or books that
have deeply affected you: First
Things First by Stephen Covey, and
The Oz Principle by Roger Connors,
Thomas Smith, and Craig Hickman.
Has mentorship made a difference in your professional and
personal life? Mentorship can be a
real catalyst. It was because of mentorship that I aimed higher, taking on my
first management role in Alaska, and
applying to the Stanford Graduate
School of Business to get my MBA.
When I worked for Julia Stewart at
Taco Bell, she was an excellent men-
28
Franchiseupdate ISS U E I, 2 0 1 4
FOUNDED: 1961, Tulsa, as the Pizza Parlor
BEGAN FRANCHISING: 1966
YEARS WITH COMPANY: Started as CEO
Jan. 13, 2014
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 20-plus
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: 0
tor for me early in my career. Later,
I chaired the Mentor Program committee at the Women’s Foodservice
Forum (WFF) and created the WFF’s
Executive Mentor Program.
Female leaders you admire: Mar-
garet Thatcher, a strong leader who
confidently led a country. Julia Stewart,
truly a trailblazer for senior leadership
roles within the foodservice industry.
goals and perform in ways they never
thought they could, including members
of the Restaurant Support Center team,
franchisees, and restaurant-level teams.
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you
doing to spend more? A substan-
tial amount, identifying people’s true
skills, passions, and talents and giving
them opportunities to apply the same.
What do you like most about what
your brand/legacy represents?
Being known for turnarounds/transformations and growing concepts.
Taking businesses from here to there.
Developing people—bringing others
along and helping people stretch and
exceed their own expectations.
What role does diversity play in
your management team? It plays
a vital role, and will continue to do so
in the future.
If you are expanding overseas,
does being a woman affe 7Bw&