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Ethic Leadership Interview
Interviewee: Sally Grimes
Previous positions: She was the group president of prepared food by Tyson food Inc. "President
Hillshire brands co, a Vice President of Global Marketing by Newell Rubbermaid inc and a
senior Director category business by Mondelez." She was also in apposition to serve at the
Economic Club of Chicago on the board.
Current position: Chief executive officer of Clif Bar and Co, an independent director of Beyond
Meat inc, Director Midtown Educational Foundation, and Director Economic Club of Chicago
Interviewer: Hello, I am greatly honored today for granting me a chance to have this interview
with you. You are a great leader, and many people look up to you; I would like to know what
makes you who you are?
Sally Grimes: Thank you for this opportunity, and I would love to say that I am who I am today
because of my decisions. I create my ideas which I own, but it could not be possible if I did not
have a supportive team that listens to me. Being a leader entails being strong and making
strategic decisions, for they affect many people in one way or another.
Interviewer: How has being a leader sharpened your leadership skills?
Sally Grimes: Being a leader has given me a platform to understand my decisions better. I have
been in the food industry for more than 25 years, which has enabled me to have exposure to how
different things work but to be a great leader, I had to see beyond what everyone saw. I needed a
vision and strategy to conduct my ideas to bring growth and change. In every leadership position
I had and the same vision I shared with my team members, inspiring them to aim and focus on
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change. As a leader, I learned to be disciplined and create a motivational routine for my team and
me while displaying good ethics.
Interviewer: I heard you talking about displaying good ethics; what good ethics do you feel you
display?
Sally Grimes: I display quite a several ethics as much as I am not perfect. First and foremost, I
am a team builder; having a strong team that works towards a certain goal is one of the best
things any organization can have. I foster camaraderie and a sense of identity among my
colleagues. It's not just about achieving personal goals when a good leader sets out to attain
them. They put up considerable effort to achieve endeavors that benefit the organization as a
whole. I have value-driven decision-making skills, which entails that every decision I make goes
according to the organization's values. I encourage people to be better by coming up with
innovative ideas that benefit the company and get rewarded. It is because of good ideas that
people get promotions or a salary raise, which is also one thing that gave me the chance to be a
leader.
Interviewer: Do you believe you have a moral identity?
Sally Grimes: Yes, I believe that I have a very strong moral identity when it comes to everything
that I do, both internally and externally, concerning the issues that govern the organization. I can
handle the pressures that rise without mixing my personal feeling for the betterment of the
company.
Interviewer: What are the ethical issues that you have faced or continue to face?
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Sally Grimes: Handling a company is not an easy job to do, and there may be faults that happen
to lead to the downfall of many companies. I have handled a bribery case that entailed stealing
company products, which was not quite pleasant, and mismanagement of funds reflected on the
financial report.
Interviewer: How were you able to handle the unethical issues that you just stated?
Sally Grimes: Not acting immediately on such an issue might cost the whole organization
without your knowledge. Hence, the people involved in those scandals had to face the
consequences according to our rules and regulations to guide people to follow the right ways.
Interviewer: Are there instances whereby you experienced an IPOH around an ethical dilemma
that you were confronted with? How did you handle the situation?
Sally Grimes: After working for five years at Newell Rubbermaid, I got a call from the CEO of
Hillshire brands and Conagra's CEO, Sean Connolly. He pitched a great idea to me that entailed
a $ 4 billion business. I had the choice of accepting it right away or thinking about my current
job, but instead, I took my time and analyzed its importance to me. When we met again, I
accepted it because it allowed me to spread my wings, and since then, I have never been the
same in my line of thinking and taking challenges as motivators.
Interviewer: Currently, you are at Clif bar and Co; what keeps you going?
Sally Grimes: Clif bar was the place where my ideals, professional expertise, and genuine desire
to reform the food system all collided at the same time. More than ever, I dream of making
innovations that will leave a mark, keeping me going. I have to be always on the move looking
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for great ideas and looking for solutions for the ones I put to the test but did not turn out as I
expected.
Interviewer: Where do you see yourself in the future?
Sally Grimes: I work extremely hard because I have a vision of taking this company to another
level that no one has been able to achieve as of now. Excellence is my priority, and I believe I
will achieve it with persistence and hard work.
Interviewer: Do you think that in the future you will insist on ethics as a leader?
Sally Grimes: Yes, I firmly believe that I will still insist and instill good ethical characteristics
in my team as a leader. I will lead by example to my team and tell them the importance of having
those characteristics not only on the organization but also on them in their daily lives. I often
interact with interns and people who have the passion and dream to be where I am today, and
that is one piece of advice that is never left out.
Interviewer: What is your final advice to aspiring Chief Executive Officer
Sally Grimes: Being a CEO needs an aggressive person with self-motivation and a great vision
to share and achieve it with their team. You don't have to be the smartest person to be where I am
today; all you have to is be humble and learn from others. Create a culture of having critical
thinking while handling situations and have ethical characteristics that will ensure you have the
discipline to achieve your goals as desired. If you follow these few steps, I guarantee you to be
much more ahead than others.
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your time. I will keep in mind all you have said
