Michael E. Gantt
Business History
Senior human resources executive with over 35 years of comprehensive HR experience as a generalist, including but not limited to recruitment and retention, labor relations and contract negotiation, benefits design, administration and trusteeship, assessment, compensation, management training and development, union avoidance, EEOC/CRD charge investigation and resolution, diversity training, employee relations, conflict resolution, strategic and tactical planning, change management, team building, Federal and state regulation compliance, acquisitions, policy development and implementation, arbitration and mediation, labor and employment law, coordination of litigation, organizational development and meeting planning and facilitation. Has a strong work ethic, a flexible, people-oriented participative management style, is an articulate communicator with strong, well developed interpersonal skills and one-on-one negotiation abilities and handles nearly everything with a rather pervasive but always appropriate sense of humor.
EXPERIENCE
b2b Solutions, LLC, Lake Forest, Illinois
Full service consulting company for retailers and suppliers to retail firms.
Consulting Partner Illinois Present
Bashas', Phoenix, Arizona
Senior Vice President - Human Resources
1996 - Present
Bashas' is a 75 year-old privately held, family owned retail supermarket chain with more than 160 stores spread throughout the state operating under three different banners and employing more than 13,000 non-union employees whom the company refers to as "members." Reports to the president and is a policy making member of the executive committee. Oversees a staff of more than 20 individuals that are responsible for all functions related to HR, training and development and benefits. Some key accomplishments are:
- Outsourced unemployment compensation claims handling resulting in significant cost and time savings
- Created a management training and development program from scratch
- Brought EEOC/CRD claims investigation and resolution in-house and handled them personally until the recent hiring of in-house counsel
- Revamped member recognition and service award programs
- Created a new HR field specialist position to partner with and support operations supervision
- Created a comprehensive performance appraisal system
- Organized and facilitated the acquisition of the employees of 3 competitor food chains and a number of independent stores
- Helped create and facilitate an annual total company management meeting
- Participated in plan design, administration, trusteeship and cost control for the company health and welfare plans and the 401(k) retirement plan
- Authored, implemented and helped to enforce numerous people-related company policies and procedures
- Developed and adapted the departments as necessary while the company grew from fewer than 50 to more than 160 stores in 12 years
- Helped to design and conduct a pro-active response to the union's well-funded and persistent anti-company corporate campaign over the course of the past 5+ years
- Partnered with operations supervision throughout tenure to achieve high levels of member cooperation and morale
Gooding's Supermarkets, Orlando, Florida
Vice President - Human Resources
1992 - 1996
Gooding's was a privately held, family owned retail supermarket chain with 18 stores employing over 4000 people throughout central Florida. Reported to the president and was a policy making member of the executive committee. After replacing a "caretaker" HR director created and assumed hands-on responsibility for all aspects of human resources and training for the company. Left to accept an invitation to return to Arizona and join Bashas'.
Smitty's Super Valu, Inc. Phoenix, Arizona
Senior Vice President - Human Resources
1970 - 1991
Smitty's was a privately held, family owned retail supermarket and general merchandise company that grew from 4 stores to 28 over a period of 20 years, the majority of which were 100,000+ square foot combination food and department store units. Individual store sales volumes ranged from $600,000 to $800,000 per week on average. Created a human resources and training department from scratch that grew from one person to a staff of more than 20 over the years. Survived the sale of the company to a Canadian retailer in 1986 and managed to restrict the union to the meat departments only from 1970 until departure in 1991. Was laid off in 1991 along with several senior management colleagues as the parent company, Steinberg's, prepared to surrender the company's employees to the UFCW via a card check and then sell the organization to the Yucaipa Investment Group.
Des Moines Public Schools, Des Moines, Iowa
High School English and Speech Teacher, Lincoln High School
1967 - 1970
Lincoln presented a rather typical mid-western high school environment though at the time it was the largest high school in Des Moines. Taught a full schedule of classes in English and Speech to 10th, 11th and 12th graders, produced and directed the school plays and was the assistant golf coach. Left to join Smitty's in Arizona and begin a new and hoped for more lucrative career in what was then called personnel.
EDUCATION
- Certificate in Theatre Arts, Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, California, 1965
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, 1967
- Graduate work in labor relations, Arizona State University, 1972
- Numerous continuing education units in HR, training and related topics via seminars, conferences and class work over the years
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, CIVIC AFFILIATIONS
- Long time member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
- Long time member of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
- Current guest Instructor, Portland State University's "Today's Managers' Tomorrow's Leaders" retail supermarket leadership program
- Member since 1972, The Food Marketing Institute's (FMI) Human Resources and Training advisory and conference planning committee
- Member, 2007 to present, design and planning committee for FMI's new national bi-annual "Future Connect" leadership conference
- Member, 1992 - 1996, The University of Florida's School of Business Retail Advisory Committee
- Current volunteer chairman of the personnel committee of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Kidney Foundation
- Current volunteer member of the executive committee of the Men's Anti-Violence Network, Arizona Foundation for Women