Bill started with Publix in 1993 as an accountant at the bakery plant in Lakeland, Florida, and soon moved into a production manager role. Since then, Bill has worked as production operations manager and general manager before moving into his current role.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
I always dreamed about being a professional baseball player.

What made you move from an accounting role to production operations? 
That’s a funny story. I started out as an accountant at the Lakeland bakery plant and then was offered a position as the department manager of the frozen department by the plant manager. I couldn’t decide if he thought I would be a good manager or if I was a terrible accountant! So, I asked if I could have 3 months to try it out and see if I liked it. A month and a half later, he filled my old accounting position, so there was no going back. But it turned out to be the best thing that could’ve ever happened in my career!

What is the best career advice you received?
Success is more easily achieved if you are focused on developing relationships with those around you.

What’s one thing on your bucket list?
To play a round of golf at Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament.

Favorite place to vacation?
A group of my friends and family went to Telluride, Colorado, for a week of skiing, and it was amazing!

What is your favorite Publix memory?
Meeting Mr. George when he toured the bakery plant.

What is your go-to song to pump you up?
“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.

If you could meet anyone in the past or present, who would it be? Why? 
The legendary Pittsburgh Pirate baseball player and my childhood hero, Roberto Clemente, because he was a great athlete but still found time to give back to others and was so humble.

Favorite board/card game as a kid?
Monopoly. We used to play that all the time in high school into the wee hours of the morning. 

Tell us one thing about manufacturing operations that people would be surprised to hear.
I think people would be surprised to hear the quantity of raw materials we use. For example, our 2 bakery plants use over 140 million pounds of white flour in a year!

When you go to the movies, do you prefer something salty or sweet?
Popcorn. I can’t enjoy a movie if I don’t have a big bag of popcorn with layers of butter in it!

What is your favorite thing about leading your Publix team?
Seeing a diverse group of people work together to accomplish such great things.

What business area at Publix are you curious to learn more about and why?
Loss prevention because I love hearing their stories about what they encounter on a daily basis.