San Antonio-based H-E-B is shaking up its leadership. The grocery giant’s Chief Operating Officer, Roxanne Orsak, will become the first woman to serve as President of H-E-B starting January 2026, according to a news release from H-E-B on Tuesday, September 30.
Orsak will succeed Craig Boyan, who is retiring after 20 years with H-E-B. Boyan, however, won’t be leaving entirely. He will transition to a senior advisor role, remaining a member of H-E-B’s Board of Directors and joining the company’s Board Oversight and Advisory Committee, according to the release.
“We are grateful for Craig’s consequential leadership that leaves a lasting impact on our company and culture,” Howard Butt III, H-E-B’s CEO, stated in the release. “Craig has guided significant and continuous company growth while strengthening the people-based values that are so important to H-E-B. His commitment to innovation, collaboration, and focus on people has positioned us strongly for the future.”
Who is H-E-B’s new president?
Orsak began her career at the company in 1988 as a store management trainee, according to H-E-B. She rose through the ranks of store operations, merchandising, procurement, format design and more. She has held leadership positions in almost every area of H-E-B’s business before being named Chief Operating Officer in 2022, H-E-B noted. With the company, Orsak helped launch the H-E-B Plus! store format in 2004 and the Joe V’s Smart Shop store format in 2010.
As the first woman president of H-E-B, Orsak is setting a meaningful milestone for the company, which was founded 120 years ago in 1905 by Florence Butt, a pioneering female entrepreneur. In Orsak’s new role as president and COO, she will report to the CEO.
“Roxanne is the natural choice to serve as H-E-B’s next President,” Butt stated in the release. “She has a deep understanding of our business, which she honed from a broad range of leadership roles at H-E-B during her 37-year tenure. Roxanne leads by example, embodies our culture, and recognizes the unique contributions of each Partner.”
Charles Butt, chairman of H-E-B, echoed similar sentiments. He thanked Boyan for his leadership and commitment to H-E-B while expressing praise for Orsak. He wrote, “Roxanne has a strategic mindset, deep understanding of our business, and commitment to our Partners and customers, and I look forward to seeing her take on this new role. She has built her entire career at our company and is the right leader to take us into our next era.”
