Alissa Partee
Chief People Officer
Restaurant Technologies
Alissa Partee is a human capital leader of nearly 20 years, in various industries (food and beverage, manufacturing, business services) and ownership arrangements (private, public, private equity). Alissa is currently leading the human capital and operations excellence functions at Restaurant Technologies.
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Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I started my early career at a boutique consulting firm for executive compensation and joined one of my clients (Buffalo Wild Wings) to lead compensation and benefits. I joined the Marvin companies in Warroad, Minnesota for a few years as their director of total rewards, and eventually overall human capital.
I then joined Caribou Coffee Company and Einstein Bros. in an effort to move back to Minneapolis. I spent a few months in that capacity and eventually took the chief people officer role. I joined Restaurant Technologies as their chief people officer and eventually added operations excellence as the role expanded, as the business continued to experience exceptionally high-growth.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Of all the things we need to do or provide as leaders, two things you must do every day are provide love and clarity.
What is the greatest challenge your particular C-level role is facing today, and how are you addressing it?
In my dual role as the chief people and operations excellence officer, the greatest challenge we're facing today revolves around harmonizing operational efficiency with the cultivation of a people-centric culture. This entails striking a balance between optimizing processes for productivity and fostering an environment where our employees feel valued, engaged and empowered.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out in your C-level role?
The key to success is to learn the business deeply and broadly; know it better than anyone else, but stay humble in your knowledge. Ask for help, create strong relationships that can weather difficult conversations and invest time in getting to know people. Remember, you are an employee too. You are not above them, you are among them.
How do you measure success as a leader?
If my team is successful at delivering support of the business and that the business is ultimately performing better because of it, then I'd consider that success. None of that is possible unless people look to the leader (and their team) as a trusted, ethical team.
What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?
Being a member of the Evanta community allows me to broaden my horizons and perspectives, getting me out of my ruts a bit. It allows me to help others if they are struggling with something, while allowing my peers and I to push our boundaries and develop as broader impact leaders.
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