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Panera SVP: Why having a diverse team grows companies

Karen Kelley, Panera Bread SVP and chief restaurant operations officer, discusses how Panera's investments in talent have made it a brand that attracts both customers and high-quality employees to carry the brand into the future.

January 22, 2020

It's easy to describe Karen Kelley, Panera Bread SVP and chief restaurant operations officer, as a people person. The 30-year restaurant veteran has made a career out of putting the right people in the right places to help grow several businesses. Before joining Panera in 2018, for example, she was the president of Tatte Bakery & Café and served as president of Drybar and Sweetgreen during their start-up phases.

"As leaders it's very important for us to not mistake a lack of knowledge with a lack of intelligence," Kelley said during an interview with Tim Tang of Hughes at the 2019 Fast Casual Executive Summit, in which she keynoted. "We look for that deep restaurant experience sometimes, which does matter, but at the same time, when you look for the strongest people with the most potential no matter what they come from, and they're willing to come in and sign up to learn the business and the model you end up with a much more diverse working group. You end up with a group of people who kinda challenge the status quo. You end up with a group of people who think differently so you find yourself in this place where you get more creative — you stretch the boundaries."

Watch the interview to learn more about her people and operations strategies.