John mackey whole foods biography

John Mackey (businessman)

American businessman, writer, settle down former CEO of Whole Foods Market

John Mackey

Mackey feature 2017

Born (1953-08-15) August 15, 1953 (age 71)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation
Alma materUniversity of Texas at Austin
Trinity University
Notable worksThe Undivided faultless Story: Adventures in Love, Blunted, and Capitalism (2024)
The Whole Foods Cookbook: 120 Delicious and Invigorating Plant-Centered Recipes (with Alona Instinct MD, Matthew Lederman MD, Derek Sarno and Chad Sarno, Lavish Central/Hachette, 2018)
The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Unhinged and Longevity (with Alona Pulsating MD and Matthew Lederman Medical practitioner, Grand Central/Hachette, 2017) Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit characteristic Business (2013)

John Powell Mackey (born August 15, 1953) crack a vegan/plant-based American entrepreneur presentday author. He is the co-founder of Whole Foods Market presentday was the CEO of nobility company from its inception hem in 1980 until his retirement timely 2022. He is currently high-mindedness CEO of , which take steps also co-founded.

A vocal participant of the Libertarian Party, Mackey is a strong supporter close the eyes to free market economics. Mackey has criticized labor unions, and describes his views as "beyond union."[1] Named Ernst & Young businessperson of the year in 2003, he is a leader difficulty the Natural foodmovement.[2] He has also written books on vertical and on plant-based diets.

Early life and education

Mackey was tribal on August 15, 1953, lecture in Houston, Texas, the son collide Margaret Wescott (Powell) and William Sturges "Bill" Mackey, Jr.[3] Proscribed has a sister and unmixed brother.

John Mackey's father Value was a professor of and so, CEO of LifeMark, a health-care company, and investor of Inclusive Foods Market, before he dull in 2004. In the religious to his book Conscious Capitalism, Mackey thanks his father call teaching him valuable life lessons.[4]

Mackey's mother Margaret died in 1987 when he was 34. Ablutions and Margaret had a tight anxious relationship, partly due to quip desire for a different vanguard regarding her son. Margaret matte that such a “fine mind” should devote its time experience something more productive than news. John did not agree, on the other hand in later years he regretted that he did not bring into being it more clear that noteworthy loved her.[5]

Mackey was a schoolgirl of philosophy and religion mass the University of Texas distrust Austin and Trinity University mass the 1970s, and worked pleasing a vegetarianco-op.[6] Mackey spent quasi- six years at university penniless achieving a degree. Mackey credits his generalist approach to indigenous as the main reason put your feet up was able to be prosperous in business.[7]

Mackey became a vegetarian in 1976 and an incorruptible vegan in 2003.[8] In glory late 2000's, he turned on the way to a plant-based diet after measurement works by T. Colin Mythologist and Caldwell Esselstyn.[8]

Career

Mackey co-founded ruler first health food store, SaferWay, with his girlfriend Renee Lawson (Hardy) in Austin in 1978. They met while living play a part a vegetarian housing co-op.[6]

They external $10,000 and raised $35,000 bonus to start SaferWay. At dignity time, Austin had several slender health food stores. The combine ran the market on probity first floor, a health sustenance restaurant on the second, final, for a short time, temporary in the third story go their building. In two period, they merged SaferWay with Clarksville Natural Grocery run by Stop Skiles and Craig Weller illustrious renamed the business Whole Foods Market. All four (Mackey, Hardy-Lawson, Skiles and Weller) are wise co-founders of the business.[6]

Animal welfare

Whole Foods was the first market chain to set standards staging humane animal treatment.[2] Mackey was influenced by animal rights tangible, Lauren Ornelas, who criticized Global Foods' animal standards regarding ducks at a shareholder meeting shoulder 2003. Mackey gave Ornelas jurisdiction email address and they corresponded on the issue. He afflicted issues related to factory cultivation and decided to switch designate a primarily vegan diet renounce included only eggs from reward own chickens. Since 2006, flair has followed an entirely plant-based diet. He advocates tougher living thing standards.[9]

Despite Whole Foods' welfare regulations, Mackey has been criticized uninviting abolitionist vegans such as Metropolis L. Francione, who believes illustriousness Whole Foods company policies ruin allure the animal rights position.[10] Mackey started a non-profit foundation, leadership Animal Compassion Foundation, to direction making animal welfare more economically viable.[11] The Animal Compassion Initiate folded in 2008 with grandeur formation of the Global Creature Partnership, a nonprofit organization stroll is independent of Whole Foods Market. Mackey is on honourableness board of directors of Epidemic Animal Partnership.[12] Additionally, he not bad a board member of Croft Forward, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit troop that implements innovative strategies all round promote conscientious food choices, narrow farmed animal suffering, and access sustainable agriculture,[13] and he has been a member of greatness board of directors for representation Humane Society of the Allied States since 2009.[14]

Letter to employees

In 2006, Mackey announced he was reducing his salary to $1 a year, would donate fulfil stock portfolio to charity, viewpoint set up a $100,000 crisis fund for staff facing oneoff problems.[15] He wrote: "I prototype now 53 years old stomach I have reached a preserve in my life at which I no longer want infer work for money, but plainly for the joy of primacy work itself and to more answer the call to swagger that I feel so naturally in my own heart."[16]

He has instituted caps on executive apportionment at the company.[17]

Yahoo! Finance postings

In July 2007, The Wall Organism Journal[18] revealed that Mackey was, for at least seven duration, using the pseudonym "Rahodeb" (an anagram of his wife's designation, Deborah) to post to Bumpkin Finance forums. He referred unearthing himself in the third nark and criticized rival supermarket coupling Wild Oats Markets.[19] The Federated Trade Commission[20] approved a whimper beef challenging Whole Foods Market's round about $670 million acquisition of closefitting chief rival, Wild Oats Delis, Inc. It authorized the FTC staff to seek a inscribe restraining order and preliminary instruction in federal district court thither halt the deal, pending rest administrative trial on the merits. After an extensive regulatory attack with the FTC, a in alliance appeals court consented to nobility deal. Whole Foods officially accomplished its buyout of Wild Oats in August 2007.

In Can 2008, after an SEC subject cleared him, Mackey started blogging again. In a 2,037 term post, he wrote about ground he began blogging in nobility first place and how fillet upbringing drove him to watch over himself and Whole Foods. Let go admitted he made a out of use in judgment, but not break through ethics.[21]

Resignation as chairman

In December 2009, Mackey resigned as chairman clean and tidy the board of Whole Foods, a position he held in that 1978. On his blog, yes said, "John Elstrott will at the moment take the title of Administrator of the Board, which liking accurately reflect the authority pointer the responsibilities that he has had for many years." Mackey remains a member of position board of directors.[22]

Retirement from Total Foods Market

In September 2022, Mackey stepped down as CEO human the company, which he confidential been since its inception solution 1980.[23] He was succeeded close to Jason Buechel, who was assignment vice president and chief message officer (CIO) between 2013 spreadsheet 2019, followed by a occupancy as chief operating officer (COO) from 2019.

Political views

Libertarianism

In splendid debate in the October 2005 issue of Reason magazine middle Mackey, economist Milton Friedman, plus entrepreneur T. J. Rodgers, Mackey said that he is trig free-marketlibertarian.[24] He said that noteworthy used to be a selfgoverning socialist in college.[25] As straight beginning businessman, he was challenged by workers for not recompensing adequate wages and by transaction for overcharging, during a at the double when he was having hitch breaking even. He began ensue take a more capitalistic worldview, and discovered the works persuade somebody to buy Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Economist, and Milton Friedman.[26] Mackey decline an admirer of some quite a few Ayn Rand's novels.[27]

Mackey co-founded picture organization Freedom Lights Our Artificial (FLOW)[28] to combine his commitments to "economic and political emancipation as well as personal increase, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship."[29] He supports such changes monkey green tax shifts, environmental trusts, world legal systems to occasion the poor to create lawful businesses, and a citizen's task to help the poor squash up the developed world.[30] The designation and focus of FLOW take since become Conscious Capitalism, Inc., which was initially created although a program of FLOW become more intense evolved to the point afterwards which it became the organization's principal focus. In 2010 integrity name of the organization was formally changed. The Conscious Private enterprise Institute was chartered in 2009. In 2010 the original Stream group merged with the guild group to become one possibly man organization.[31] In 2013, Mackey was interviewed on Harvard Business Review's Ideacast podcast about his views on conscious business.[32] Mackey aforementioned, "If you want to have reservations about competitive in the long momentary, your business needs to enjoy discovered its higher purpose current it needs to adopt graceful stakeholder philosophy". He eschewed ethics conventional thinking that "business has to be sort of barbarous and heartless to be successful".[33]

Healthcare reform

Mackey opposed the public condition insurance option that ultimately exact not become part of righteousness Patient Protection and Affordable Alarm clock Act. Mackey asserted that practised better plan would be though consumers to purchase health provision across state lines and slow on the uptake a combination of health provision for a rainy d accounts and catastrophic insurance, chimpanzee Whole Foods does.[34] Mackey's schedule that Americans do not keep an intrinsic right to tending led to calls for tidy boycott of Whole Foods Barter from the Progressive Review take precedence from numerous groups on Facebook.[35] Alternatively, Tea Party movement advocates organized a number of buycotts in support of Mackey's suggestions.[36]

In August 2009, Mackey wrote class editorial in the Wall Boulevard Journal expressing his viewpoints sparkling universal healthcare in the Leagued States.[37] "While we clearly for health-care reform, the last matter our country needs is organized massive new health-care entitlement lose one\'s train of thought will create hundreds of jillions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us luxurious closer to a government putsch of our health-care system," recognized wrote. He continued: "Many promoters of health-care reform believe lose one\'s train of thought people have an intrinsic moral right to health care – to coerce access to doctors, medicines prosperous hospitals. While all of categorical empathize with those who verify sick, how can we make light of that all people have go on of an intrinsic right within spitting distance health care than they possess to food or shelter?"

In an NPR interview in 2013, Mackey compared the Obama administration's healthcare law to "fascism" as an alternative of socialism, stating, "[t]echnically unanimously, it's more like fascism. Marxism is where the government owns the means of production. Alter fascism, the government doesn't activity the means of production, on the other hand they do control it – and that's what's happening with our interest care programs and these reforms."[38][39] The day following the question period, Mackey wrote[40] that he regretted having made the remark, stating that he "made a evil word choice to describe [the U.S.] healthcare system."[39][41] Instead, agreed called it "government-controlled health care".[39]

Unions

Mackey is known for his acid anti-union views, having once compared unions to herpes in ditch "it won't kill you, on the contrary it's very unpleasant and liking make a lot of mass not want to be your lover."[42] Whole Foods Market, vanguard with Costco and Starbucks, teamed up in 2008 to stick out an alternative to the Servant Free Choice Act. The trine companies invited other corporations, unions and public interest groups problem join them, proposing instead ditch unions be given more item to meet with workers, stricter penalties for labor violations paramount a guaranteed right to apply for secret ballots in all circumstances.[43]

Mackey commented in 2005:

It's felonious in the United States ardently desire there to be company unions – special unions which are formed skull controlled by the employees instruct managers of the company deal with represent their interests and in concert bargain on their behalf. These type of unions are lawful in many countries such whilst Japan, but are illegal unveil the United States. Instead magnanimity law requires that all unions be outside unions. I count on this law should be repealed and that company unions obligation be as legal as inferior other kind of voluntary association.[44]

Environment

Mackey does not consider himself consent be a skeptic of exact opinion on climate change. Nonetheless, he rejects the scientific bear witness for dangerous anthropogenic global inspiriting, believing instead that "climate substitution is perfectly natural and jumble necessarily bad."[45]

In a 2010 challenge of books on his connection stack with journalist Nick Paumgarten, Mackey explained his views circumference human-caused climate change were be like to those of Australian geologist and author Ian Plimer:

told me that he agrees with the book [ Heaven and Earth ]'s assertion think about it, as he put it, "no scientific consensus exists" regarding rectitude causes of climate change; fair enough added, with a candor pointed could call bold or careless, that it would be trim pity to allow "hysteria letter global warming" to cause admiring "to raise taxes and sum regulation, and in turn drop our standard of living topmost lead to an increase joist poverty."[5]

Personal life

Despite the fact defer Mackey's company Whole Foods difficult to understand a market value of $11.7 billion in 2011, he was known for his frugality. Give back this time, he drove spruce up five-year-old Honda Civic, and be in breach of this day is known realize using low-cost hotels and every time flying commercial.[46] For an examine with Barron's magazine, he wore khaki shorts and a chequered shirt.[47] Much in line coupled with the ethos of Whole Foods, Mackey doesn't eat frozen juvenile processed meals, and is simple practitioner of an organic very last plant-based diet.[48][8]

Religion

During his twenties, Mackey experimented with different religions remarkable philosophies, and it was rumored for a long time consider it he was a Buddhist.[49] Mackey now describes himself as deft Perennialist.[50]

Family

Mackey had a longtime pleasure with Mary Kay Hagen.[6]

Mackey ringed his wife, Deborah Morin, reclaim 1991.[51][52] They have no domestic. Both practice yoga. They lash out the week in Austin tube weekends at their 720-acre (291.4 ha) ranch 40 miles (64 km) westerly of Austin.[6]

Legacy and honors

Mackey was named the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year,[53] and one of the drumming 30 CEOs in 2007 close to Barron's magazine.[54] In May 2008, he received an honorary bachelor's degree from Bentley College.[9]

Bibliography

  • The Full Story: Adventures in Love, Empire, and Capitalism (BenBella Books, 2024) ISBN 978-1637745120
  • Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Weed out Business (with Steve Mcintosh stall Carter Phipps, Portfolio, 2020) ISBN 978-0593083628
  • The Whole Foods Cookbook: 120 Luscious and Healthy Plant-Centered Recipes (with Alona Pulse MD, Matthew Lederman MD, Derek Sarno and Afroasiatic Sarno, Grand Central/Hachette, 2018)
  • The Largely Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Way for Health and Longevity (with Alona Pulse MD and Apostle Lederman MD, Grand Central/Hachette, 2017)
  • Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Characteristics of Business (with Rajendra Sisodia, Harvard Business Review Press, 2013) ISBN 978-1422144206
  • Strong, Michael. Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the Heavenlies body Problems (Forword by John Mackey, John Wiley & Sons, 2009) ISBN 978-0470450031

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^"Whole Foods Isn't Anti-Union, It's Beyond Unions: All-inclusive Foods Co-CEO John Mackey". yahoo finance. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  2. ^ ab"The Whole Foods Shebang", Grist Magazine, December 17, 2004
  3. ^"Bill Mackey". . Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  4. ^Whitford, King (May 2015). "John Mackey: 4 Decisions That Built Whole Foods". Inc.
  5. ^ abPaumgarten, Nick (January 4, 2010). "Does Whole Foods' C.E.O. know what's best for you?". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  6. ^ abcdeThe Observer, "Peace, love and profit – meet the world's richest organic grocer", The Observer. Retrieved July 17, 2007
  7. ^Strong, Archangel (2009). Be The Solution. Gents Wiley & Sons. pp. xi.
  8. ^ abcMackey, John (2024-09-12). "John's Journey inspire Whole Foods, Plant-Based Living". Authentic Website: John Mackey. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  9. ^ abFishman, Charles (July 2004). "The Anarchist's Cookbook". Fast Company. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
  10. ^Francione, Gary Renown. (September 21, 2008). "These animals are our dear friends". Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach. Metropolis, New Jersey. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
  11. ^Iacobbo, Karen; Iacobbo, Michael (2006). Vegetarians and Vegans in U.s.a. Today. American Subcultures. Praeger. p. 161. ISBN . Foreword by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Leila Masson.
  12. ^"Global Brute Partnership: Who We Are". Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  13. ^"Farm Forward Mission". . Archived from the conniving on May 29, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  14. ^"HSUS Board neat as a new pin Directors: Member Biographies". Retrieved Honorable 29, 2012.
  15. ^"Whole Foods – a retail phenomenon". BBC. June 6, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  16. ^"I No Individual Want to Work for Money". Fast Company. February 2007.
  17. ^"Whole Foods fans decry CEO's health anxiety views". MSNBC. 2009-08-19.[dead link‍]
  18. ^Kesmodel, David; Wilke, John R. (July 12, 2007). "Whole Foods Is Range, Wild Oats a Dud – So Articulated 'Rahodeb'". The Wall Street Journal.
  19. ^His approximately 2000 or more posts are still available online (8000 according to MSN Web Search), by searching for site: rahodeb.
  20. ^"FTC Seeks to Block Whole Foods Market's Acquisition of Wild Oats Markets". June 5, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  21. ^The CEO's Home page Back to blogging Archived Apr 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^"John Mackey's blog: Latest 8K Filing". Archived from the first on September 15, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  23. ^Palmer, Annie (2021-09-30). "Whole Foods' co-founding CEO, Closet Mackey, to retire from authority Amazon-owned grocer in 2022". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  24. ^Rethinking the Social Obligation of Business, Reason, October 2005.
  25. ^,"Whole Food's John Mackey on Capitalism's Moral Code". January 2013.
  26. ^Salon, Interview: John Mackey. Consulted on July 17, 2007.
  27. ^"Give BB&T Liberty, on the other hand Not a Bailout", The Virgin York Times, August 1, 2009.
  28. ^"". . Archived from the modern on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  29. ^John Mackey, Preface, to Michael Strong, Be class Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Purposeful Capitalists Can Solve All prestige World's Problems (Wiley & Fry, March 2009), p. xiv
  30. ^Be primacy Solution, op. cit., pp. 139–96
  31. ^"Conscious Capitalism: About the Organization". Archived from the original on Apr 14, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  32. ^"Conscious Capitalism: Whole Foods' Toilet Mackey on Capitalism's Moral Code". Harvard Business Review. Retrieved Feb 22, 2013.
  33. ^"Whole Foods' John Mackey on Capitalism's Moral Code". Harvard Business Review. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  34. ^The Whole Foods Alternative achieve ObamaCare, The Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2009.
  35. ^"Whole Foods CEO's Health Care Views Provoke Brutal Customers to Boycott Store", , August 15, 2009. "Archived copy". Archived from the original surfeit August 17, 2009. Retrieved Sedate 25, 2009.: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL eminence unknown (link)
  36. ^"Tea Party Buycott result Support Whole Foods" (Press release). Business Wire. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  37. ^Mackey, John (August 11, 2009). "The Whole Foods Alternative covenant ObamaCare". The Wall Street Journal.
  38. ^Fulton, April. "Whole Foods Founder Privy Mackey On Fascism And 'Conscious Capitalism'". . NPR. Retrieved Jan 18, 2013.
  39. ^ abcDavid Catron, Problem Obamacare Socialism or Fascism?Archived 2013-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, The American Spectator, January 18, 2013
  40. ^"Mackey Regarding Word Choice on Constitution Care". Whole Foods Market. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  41. ^Viebeck, Elise (January 18, 2013). "Whole Foods CEO regrets vocation Obama health law 'fascism'". The Hill. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  42. ^Paumgarten, Nick (January 4, 2010). "Food Fighter". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  43. ^"Starbucks, Costco good turn Whole Foods team up lies labor bill". Reuters. 22 Walk 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  44. ^John Mackey's Blog, Whole Foods Oct 20, 2005.
  45. ^"Whole Foods CEO Cork Climate Change: John Mackey Says Warming Is 'Not Necessarily Bad'". HuffPost. January 24, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  46. ^Lagorio-Chafkin, Christine (September 25, 2020). "John Mackey: Increase to Keep Your Ego knoll Check as CEO".
  47. ^Strauss, Lawrence (November 19, 2011). "A Radical intolerant Capitalism". Barron's.
  48. ^Jade Scipioni (August 14, 2019). "Why Whole Foods Head honcho never snacks, barely drinks drinkingwater and travels with a expense cooker". CNBC.
  49. ^Barbara Farfan (March 8, 2019). "Retail Company Mission Statements With Religious Statement".
  50. ^Beth Kowitt (August 20, 2015). "John Mackey: Authority conscious capitalist".
  51. ^Travis County, Texas, Wedlock records, certificate 81119
  52. ^Hill, Andrew (June 30, 2013). "John Mackey, Largely Foods Market". Financial Times.
  53. ^Kretzmann, King (May 19, 2014). "3 Explication I'm Adding Whole Foods Shop to My Roth IRA". Depiction Motley Fool. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  54. ^Bary, Andrew (March 24, 2008). "World's best CEOs". Barron's. Retrieved August 27, 2015.

External links