LAKELAND, FL - The leadership sector of Publix’s operations is undergoing a few change-ups as of September 1st, as three officers move up the ranks together. CEO & President Todd Jones announced that Woody Rayburn, Alison Midili Smith, and Marcy Benton will all be moved up at the close of the month.
“Developing talented leaders is important to our future success, especially as we continue to grow,” said Jones in a recent press release. “I am proud of our ability to continue to perpetuate our Publix culture of promotion from within.”
Rayburn, who has been with the company since 1993 when he began as a Manager of Business Analysis, will move up from his current position as Director of Real Estate Assets to Vice President of Real Estate Assets. In that role, he will be responsible for managing the company’s growing shopping center portfolio and leveraging and acquiring assets as investments for the company.
Fellow long-time Publix veteran Midili Smith will be promoted from her role as Vice President of Human Resources, which she was named in 2016, to Senior Vice President of the department. She joined the retailer’s team in 1996 as Manager of Selection Systems. Since then she has served as Director of Employment and Staffing, Director of Organizational Development, and Vice President of Talent and Organizational Development.
In this latest role, Midili Smith will be responsible for the strategic oversight of human resources, customer care and social media, and media and community relations.
As a result of Midili Smith’s promotion, Benton will move up to become Vice President of Talent Management, answering to Smith directly as she governs associate relations, associate services, diversity, policies and procedures, recruiting, and selection and performance management. She began with Publix as an Expense Accounting Clerk before moving into human resources in 1995. In that time, she has worked her way up through a number of positions before being named as current Director of Retail Associate Relations.
Publix, which reported 2016 sales of $34 billion, is privately owned and operated by its 188,000 employees. The chain has 1,154 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
