FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 28, 2013

DALLAS/FORT WORTH – On the April episode of KERA’s CEO, host Lee Cullum talks with John Mackey, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, about early challenges the company faced bringing the natural foods supermarket concept to a skeptical public. Mackey says, “We were one of the first inventors of the natural foods supermarket. That was a revolutionary idea back in 1980. It took a long time before it began to penetrate into more mainstream customers.” The natural foods supermarket now boasts over $11 billion in annual sales and close to 350 stores spanning North America and the U.K. Learn how a devastating flood nearly washed away the original Austin, Texas, location along with the company’s future. Mackey also talks about his call for a new age of corporate leadership based on a higher purpose: “Business is not just about creating money, it is about creating value for people. It’s people cooperating together, to create value for other people.”

KERA’s CEO features insightful discussions with successful North Texas business leaders from the corporate and not-for-profit sectors about what it takes to make a company successful in today’s global marketplace and changing economy. The April episode featuring John Mackey airs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2013, on KERA TV with rebroadcasts at noon Sunday, April 7, and at 10:30 p.m. Monday, April 8, 2013. CEO also can be heard at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2013, on KERA 90.1 FM. Following the initial on-air broadcast, the half-hour program will be available on www.kera.org/ceo. Previous CEO episodes are available on demand at www.kera.org/ceo.

CEO is sponsored by Executive Education at the Naveen School of Management, The University of Texas at Dallas, Hodges Capital Management and Sewell Automotive Companies. More information about Whole Foods Market can be found at www.wholefoods.com.

ABOUT JOHN MACKEY

John Mackey, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, has led the natural and organic grocer as it has grown from a single store in Austin, Texas, founded in 1978, to an $11 billion Fortune 300 company, and a top U.S. supermarket with more than 340 stores and 70,000 Team Members worldwide. While devoting his career to helping shoppers satisfy their lifestyle needs with high quality natural and organic foods, Mackey has also focused on building a more conscious way of doing business. For 15 consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has included Whole Foods Market on its “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. Mackey has been the visionary for many successful programs at the core of Whole Foods Market. He has been recognized for his work over the years by being named Ernst&Young’s “United States Entrepreneur of the Year,” Institutional Investor’s “Best CEO in America,” Barron’s “World’s Best CEO,” MarketWatch’s “CEO of the Year,” FORTUNE’s “Businessperson of the Year,” and Esquire’s “Most Inspiring CEO,” among many others.

ABOUT CEO

Host Lee Cullum conducts insightful discussions with successful North Texas business leaders from the corporate and not-for-profit sectors about what it takes to make a company successful in today’s global marketplace and changing economy. CEO episodes are available on-demand at www.kera.org/ceo.

ABOUT KERA

KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization that serves the people of North Texas. The station broadcasts to the fourth-largest population area in the United States. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org. The station’s extensive coverage of the arts can be found at www.artandseek.org. KERA-TV broadcasts on Channel 13.1. KERA WORLD broadcasts on 13.2. KERA-FM broadcasts on 90.1 in Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, 88.3 in Wichita Falls, 100.1 in Tyler and 99.3 in Sherman. The music station KXT 91.7 FM is also streamed online at www.kxt.org.

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