Culture is the Only Priority

Recorded in front of a live audience in February 2025, Costco CEO
Ron Vachris talks at length about how the organization's culture
is the bedrock for the retailer's success. "We always do what's
right" is not an arrogant statement, he says, but a commitment to
their stakeholders, whether they are customers, shareholders or
the communities where they operate. Vachris, the third CEO to
helm Costco, demonstrates the firm's commitment to growing talent
from within. Starting as a forklift driver in 1982 at Price Club,
which merged with Costco in 1993, he worked his way up through
the company over the years, becoming CEO in January 2024.


 


Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers
School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks
top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands
and companies about the stories behind their success, their
leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and
overcome. 


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