Aissata began her Publix career in 1998 as a front service clerk at #468, Sandy Springs, Georgia. She held several positions in customer service before being promoted to store manager in 2013. She was promoted to district manager in 2016 and to her current role in 2022.

What is your advice to someone just starting their Publix career?
Work hard, be determined, be consistent, but be patient with the process.

What is your proudest moment while working here?
Two of my proudest Publix moments were being promoted to store manager and receiving the 2019 President’s Award.

What skills have advanced your Publix career the most?
My relationship-building skills. I can easily connect with others. I love to be in stores interacting with associates and customers.

What is on your bucket list?
I want to go on a desert safari in Dubai.

What do you want to learn next?
Mandarin Chinese

What brought you to Publix?
I began working for Publix as a cashier to help pay for college.

What’s your personal or professional motto?
I live by these mottos:

• Work hard and be willing to do the work others are not willing to do.
• Develop your associates to be future leaders.
• Have integrity. It’s one of the most important traits a leader can have.
• Invest in your people.
• Saying “thank you” is one of the simplest yet most powerful words you can say.
• Remember to celebrate your small wins.
• Never give up.

What are you reading right now?
“High Road Leadership” by leadership expert and author John Maxwell

Describe your favorite vacation memory.
One of my most memorable vacations was a trip to Marrakesh, Morocco. I asked my taxi driver to take me to the best place to experience authentic Marrakesh food and culture. He drove me to a local restaurant, away from the tourist area, where I mingled with the locals. The music was loud, the spices were heavy in the air and the food was delicious. I felt completely immersed in the culture! It was the best trip!

What emoji best describes you?
The laughing emoji represents my personality because I laugh a lot.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Family is my No. 1 personal value. With my family spread across the world, my free time is often spent traveling to visit them. One of my brothers is in Canada, and the other brother splits his time between Washington, D.C., and Geneva, Switzerland. My grandmother lives in the West African country of Senegal.

What did you want to be when you were younger?
I thought I was going to be a professor like my dad. He was a big influence on my life.

If you could meet anyone in the past or present, who would it be?
I would love to meet Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.