Orlando Distribution Supervisor Haris Syed embraces his background, works hard and mentors others.

At 16 years old, Haris began his Publix career as a part-time cashier. After college, he returned to Publix — this time in the grocery department, where he worked his way up to grocery manager in 2014. His dedication to hard work, paired with a desire to learn from others and try new things, inspired Haris to move to distribution in 2020, starting out as a warehouse selector trainee.

“At first, the move to distribution was a difficult change because I was going from being a manager in retail to a selector, but I quickly fell in love with the new challenge,” Haris said. “My team always kept me motivated.”

When he was a young boy, Haris and his family moved to the United States from a small town outside New Delhi, India. That experience laid the groundwork for what was to come.

“I can vividly recall coming into this country as an immigrant,” Haris said. “My family and I didn’t have much in the beginning, but the work ethic I learned during that time truly impacts where I am in life today.”

Haris uses his personal experiences to mentor those in similar situations. He also wants to further diversify his experience and knowledge.

“I have worked in multiple retail areas and now have experience in distribution,” Haris said. “My next goal is to grow in other areas of the business.”

Publix is a family — a big, 250,000-person one — with backgrounds from across the country and around the world. This article is part of a series featuring associates from a variety of backgrounds, age groups and cultures, and we love sharing their successes. We hope our articles help you learn a little more about your fellow associates who make up our Publix family.