Undercover Boss
Undercover Boss: President and CEO of 7-Eleven: Where are They Now?
Joe DePinto, the president and CEO of 7-Eleven, almost reveals his identity too soon while going undercover to learn about the inner workings of his convenience stores.
By: Catie Kovelman, Updated 06/07/2022
Season: 1
Episode: 5
Company Name: 7-Eleven
Undercover Boss: Joe DePinto
Are They Still There?: Yes!
We’ve all been inside of a 7-Eleven convenience store for one thing or another, but it’s President and CEO Joe DePinto who is making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. DePinto uses what he learned during his time in the military to make sure 7-Eleven is run like a well-oiled machine. Even though Joe DePinto runs a tight ship, the president and CEO of 7-Eleven still believes his company could do better. This is why he decided to go on “Undercover Boss.” DePinto’s goal was to learn where the weaknesses were in the 7-Eleven franchise so that he could make the right improvements. So, DePinto traded in corporate life for a week to assume the role of Danny Rossi, a former real estate guru looking for new opportunities.
Job #1: The Epicenter Of Coffee
DePinto’s first day as Danny Rossi begins at the store he calls the “epicenter of coffee.” As a whole, 7-Eleven sells millions of cups of coffee each day. But this store sells more than any other, and Mr. DePinto wants to learn what about this 7-Eleven location makes it so successful. He quickly learns that people flock to the store every morning because of Dolores, a wonderful employee who has worked at 7-Eleven for nearly 20 years. She knows all the customers by name and they love her like a friend or family member.
But under her cheery demeanor, Delores is masking a scary health battle. Delores tells Danny that she only has one kidney and she has to attend dialysis twice a week. The only cure is for someone to donate a kidney, and Dolores is waiting for a match. DePinto is impressed that Delores can work so hard and stay so positive at work despite her poor health.
Job #2: 7-Eleven Bakery in Baltimore
In an effort to sell fresh items in the stores, 7-eleven makes over 60 million pastries each year in its bakeries. For his second job, Joe DePinto is finding out what it’s like to work on the front lines of one of the largest bakeries. He once again realizes that it’s the people who make the dream work. His trainer, Phil, is a wonderful teacher and co-worker. Before his shift ends, Phil reveals to DePinto that he is also a talented artist and shows off some of his work.
Job #3: Night Shift in New York
Since working the night shift isn’t the most desirable job, the 7-Eleven president wanted to know how store clerks who work the graveyard shift stay motivated. His boss for this shift, Waqas, says he chooses to work nights because it gives him the flexibility and income he needs to go to college.
However, Waqas also says something that worries this undercover boss. The store clerk said he doesn’t feel like there is any room for growth within the company. Mr. DePinto doesn’t want his good employees to feel like they are in a dead-end job, so he makes a note to fix this ASAP.
Job #4: Popular 7-Eleven in Long Island
As one of the highest-grossing 7-Eleven stores, DePinto is eager to see how this Long Island store communicates with company headquarters in Dallas. Unfortunately, this boss doesn’t like what he sees. Several lights have been out at the store for weeks, which is unprofessional and creates safety hazards. But if current maintenance protocols are followed, corporate won’t get the lights fixed for another month! Frustrated, DePinto sneaks off to break character and call corporate himself to make sure this 7-Eleven gets the fix it needs pronto!
Job #5: Distribution in Dallas
Last but not least, Joe DePinto joins a delivery driver named Igor to deliver supplies and inventory to various 7-Eleven stores throughout Dallas. This company president is impressed by Igor’s enthusiasm and positive attitude, and how much the store employees all seem to love him. Mr. DePinto is equally touched by how Igor doesn’t get to see his wife very often because she works days and he works nights.
Their deliveries seem to be going perfectly until Joe’s identity is almost exposed. Igor is scheduled to make a delivery at a 7-Eleven in South Lake, which is DePinto’s local store. All the employees and franchise owner, who are currently in the store, know DePinto personally and would easily see through his disguise. Thankfully, he is able to claim he needed to use the restroom and hide until Igor completes the delivery.
The Big Reveal
When Joe DePinto’s week on “Undercover Boss” comes to an end, he can’t help but be amazed by the wonderful employees who work for him. Now, it’s time to summon the people he has met to 7-Eleven headquarters to reveal his identity. Although some of them were nervous they were in trouble, all the employees were very pleasantly surprised once they realized they had been working with an undercover boss.
Job 1: Dolores
Joe tells Dolores that he loved spending time with her and was impressed by her relationships with the customers. Inspired by her health journey, Joe decided to launch a Donor Awareness Program within the company in the hopes of finding a kidney donor for Dolores and helping other people in the same situation.
Job 2: Phil
Joe thanked Phil for being a great trainer and taking care of him on the frontlines of the bakery. Mr. DePinto reiterated how impressed he was by Phil’s artwork and offered Phil an opportunity to do freelance art on behalf of the 7-Eleven marketing department. This would give Phil a chance to build his portfolio and hone his artistic talents.
Job 3: Waqas
Although Joe made it clear how impressed he was with Waqas ambitions, he wanted to discuss why his role at 7-Eleven felt like a dead-end job. In response to their conversation, Joe offered to mentor Waqas in whatever direction his life takes him, whether that is with his company or not. It looks like Joe stayed true to his word because Waqas is still with the company today in a corporate role. According to his Linkedin, Waqas has been a field consultant at 7-Eleven for nearly six years. Revisit Joe's experience of getting to know Waqas during his 7-Eleven night shift in the below clip!
Job 5: Igor
Joe’s boss from the fourth job didn’t come to the big reveal, so we’ll skip to Igor from his final job. All Joe really wanted to say to Igor was thank you. To show his gratitude, Joe sent Igor and his wife on a vacation to a nice resort so they could finally spend some quality time together.
Where is Joe DePinto, President and CEO of 7-Eleven, now?
According to Joe DePinto’s Linkedin, he is still at 7-Eleven in the role of president and CEO. It appears that he has stayed true to his word and continued to make improvements and implement programs to better the company after his appearance on “Undercover Boss.”
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