Jim joined Stater Bros. Markets as the Group Senior Vice President of Retail Operations in 2002, bringing to the Company over 30 years of experience in the Supermarket Industry. In January of 2006, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Retail Operations and Administration. On September 25, 2006, Jim was promoted to his current position, President and Chief Operating Officer, and assumed overall responsibility for the Company’s day-to-day operations. Headquartered in San Bernardino, California, and founded in 1936, Stater Bros. is a “Fortune 500” Company, and is the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain based in Southern California with 167
stores, $3.5 billion in annual sales and over 18,000 members of the Stater Bros. “Family” of Employees.
Mr. Lee began his grocery career with Ralphs Grocery Company in Southern California in 1972 as a Clerk’s Helper. Later he was promoted to various positions during his 25 years at the Company including: Store Manager, District Manager, Vice President of Store Operations Administration and Vice President Store Operations, Northern Division and Southern Divisions. His last position with Ralphs was Group Vice President of the Central Division, where he had responsibility for the highest sales volume Division in the Company.
Prior to joining Stater Bros., Jim was the President and Chief Operating Officer, from 1996 to 2001, of Wild Oats Markets, Inc. based in Boulder, Colorado; which at the time, was the second largest chain of natural foods supermarkets in North America, with annual sales of over $1 billion. During Jim’s time with Wild Oats, he helped the company to “go public” and oversaw a 600% increase in sales.
Mr. Lee has a Bachelor of Arts Degree (in History) from Azusa Pacific University where he played basketball on Scholarship, a Food Industry Management Certificate (full Scholarship from the Western Association of Food Chains) and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California, which he earned while attending night school. He also graduated as Class President from the Executive Program in the Graduate School of Business at UCLA.
Mr. Lee is on the Board of the Western Association of Food Chains and serves as the President. He is also on the Advisory Board for the City of Hope Food Industries Circle and is a past board member of the Food Marketing Institute and a former trustee for the California Grocers Association Educational Foundation. Most recently, Jim joined the Board of Directors for Topco Associates, LLC.