R. Randall Onstead, Jr.
R. Randall Onstead, Jr. has over 38 years of experience in the retail food industry. Onstead is the former President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, LLC which is the parent company of Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie, and Harvey's Food and Pharmacy operating over 800 stores in the Southeast US, and the ninth largest supermarket operator in the country with sales exceeding $11 billion.
He is the former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Randalls Food Markets, Inc., a $2.7 billion Houston-based supermarket chain with stores operating under the banners of "Randalls" in Houston and Austin, and "Tom Thumb" in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.
Onstead began his career with Randalls in 1978, holding various management positions. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 1986, President and Chief Executive Officer in 1996 and became Chairman and CEO in 1998.
In 1997, Onstead initiated the sale of Randalls to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., retaining a significant equity position. During his tenure as CEO, the company increased in total enterprise value from $645 million in FY 97 to $1.85 billion in FY 99. In 1999, Onstead helped lead the transaction that resulted in Safeway, Inc. buying all the equity of Randalls Food Markets, Inc.
After the sale of Randalls, Onstead became President of Onstead Investments, L.P. Returning to retailing, he became President and CEO of Garden Ridge Corp, a Houston-based crafts and decor retailer with 44 stores in 13 states, and later became President of Dominick's Finer Foods, based in Oak Brook, IL, and CEO of Bi-Lo Food Stores, based in Greenville, SC.
He has served on the Board of Southeastern Grocers, The Food Marketing Institute, TOPCO Associates, Haggen Supermarkets, and numerous charitable organizations. Onstead serves as an advisor with Chapman Partners, LLC, and Board member of the Robert R. and Kay M. Onstead Foundation.
A graduate of Texas Tech University, Onstead earned his Bachelor degree in Marketing and graduated from Harvard University's Program for Management Development, and an honorary doctorate from York College. Onstead is married and has two children. He and his wife, Pam reside in Santa Fe, NM.