Q&A with Carol DiRaimo, GLEAM Advisory Board Member
At GLEAM Network, we are truly grateful to have some of our industry’s most inspiring leaders who dedicate their time, talents, and resources to help move our mission forward. Today we had the privilege of sitting down with founding Advisory Board Member Carol DiRaimo.
Carol DiRaimo most recently served as Chief Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Officer at Jack in the Box Inc. from July 2008 until August 2019 and as Interim Vice President of Investor Relations from November 2020 until March 2021.
Carol has over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry and six years of public accounting experience at Deloitte. She currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the GLEAM network, a non-profit dedicated to providing mentorship and leadership development in the foodservice industry. Since October 2020, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of Qdoba Restaurant Corporation and currently serves as Chair of its Audit Committee. Carol has received numerous awards, including being recognized by IR Magazine with a lifetime achievement award in 2020, and named one of the top 30 global investor relations professionals over the past 30 years in 2018. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri with a BS in accountancy and received a Bronze Medal on the CPA exam in 1983. She also earned an Executive Fellows MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City in 2004.
Some more facts about Carol, she loves to travel around the world and has visited over 40 countries. She loves being a dog mom to Mousse, who is the 5th dog she has rescued and is also an avid Royals and Chiefs fan.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today. You have over 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry and six years of public accounting experience. How would you describe your career path?
I think this quote is a good analogy for my career: “A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.” — James N. Watkins
What got you to where you are today?
Perseverance and a quest for perfection. My father always told me, “if you’re only going to do something halfway, don’t bother.”
What makes your journey unique?
I’m the oldest daughter in a family deeply connected to its Italian heritage (all four of my grandparents immigrated from Italy). My paternal grandfather walked every day to work as a tailor in downtown Kansas City and didn’t retire until he was 75 years old. My maternal grandfather was a sculptor who is responsible for the Sphinxes guarding the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City. I was the first one to leave home to go to college 120 miles away.
Who helped you along the way?
Many people, including colleagues who recognized my key strengths and supported me as my career advanced.
What mentors influenced you?
Carin Stutz, one of the founders of GLEAM, helped instill much confidence as I was eager to advance in my career. She gave me some great advice when going into meetings… “know who will support you in advance, don’t be afraid to speak up, and sit AT the table, not along the wall.”
What were some of your proudest achievements?
I have been honored and privileged to have received numerous awards, including being recognized by IR Magazine with a lifetime achievement award in 2020, and named one of the top 30 global investor relations professionals over the past 30 years in 2018. I have been honored six times as Best Investor Relations Officer in the U.S. for a small- to mid-cap company by IR Magazine. In 2017, Jack in the Box received awards for Best Overall Investor Relations Program (mid-cap) and Best in Sector: Consumer Discretionary by IR Magazine. In 2017 and 2018, Jack in the Box Inc. was recognized as one of the magazine’s Global Top 50 IR programs. Institutional Investor has named me to its All-America Executive Team 12 times, ranking me as the Best Investor Relations Officer by the sell-side for six consecutive years (2013–2018) as well as the Best Investor Relations Officer by the buy-side in 2016 and 2017. Institutional Investor also recognized Jack in the Box Inc. as one of America’s Most Honored Companies for five consecutive years (2015–2019).
Obstacles you overcame?
When I was preparing to leave public accounting, I interviewed for a job where the person who hired me out of college said I wasn’t ready yet. He hired two other people before me until I pestered him enough to hire me when the other two didn’t work out. This pattern repeated itself in a subsequent job where he was again my boss. When I expressed interest in Investor Relations, the company spent months interviewing people and offered the job to two others. One turned it down, and the other’s background check came back a bit sketchy. So I FINALLY got the job I wanted and the transition to Investor Relations became a natural fit that I succeeded in.
Lessons learned?
While it may be comfortable to work for the same company or people, sometimes that limits how they view you.
“Don’t assume people know what your career aspirations are. TELL THEM! If they don’t see you in that role, ask what you could do to change their minds or consider moving on.”
Importance of giving back?
While in college, I received numerous scholarships from prior alumni who were generous enough to give back. I now have an Endowed Scholarship at the University of Missouri which grants scholarships to women seeking their accounting degrees.
Are you a member of any other boards?
Since October 2020, I have been a member of the Board of Directors of Qdoba Restaurant Corporation and currently serve as Chair of its Audit Committee. I also serve on the Trulaske College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board at the University of Missouri, and I’m on the Advisory Board of Gleam Network, a non-profit dedicated to providing mentorship and leadership development in the foodservice industry. I have served on the Board of Trustees of Rockhurst University from 2010 until 2019, and continue to serve on its Audit Committee. From 2006 to 2011, I served on the Board of Directors of the National Investor Relations Institute.
How and why did you get involved in the GLEAM board?
Carin Stutz reached out to me. The passion that she and the other Board members have to give up their time voluntarily when they have otherwise very busy careers is amazing. It’s another way for me to give back to an industry that I have had the privilege to be involved with for more than 30 years.
What / where you’d like to see GLEAM continue to grow?
I would like to see more companies recognize the benefit of having wonderful mentors that are outside of their organizations as sometimes having a different perspective can be of great help to someone.
What advice would you give to your younger self embarking on a career path?
Be intellectually curious. Learn as much as you can about your industry. Don’t be afraid to make your own recommendations instead of asking others what they think.
If you enjoyed Carol’s story and would like to connect with herdirectly, you can follow Carol on LinkedIn.
GLEAM Network is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose purpose is to provide access to mentorship and leadership development to underserved professionals in the restaurant and foodservice industry. With a bold vision to be a truly global, and the most effective, mentoring network for our communities in the industry, our organization provides low / no-cost access to all programs. At GLEAM, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn by engaging with others who are more experienced and to advance their careers by building expertise and developing themselves. Founded during the pandemic to serve the needs of an industry hard-hit by closures and rocked by an uncertain future, GLEAM Network is the only organization of its kind in the Restaurant/Foodservice Industry. Learn more about GLEAM Network, our mission, and our 1:1 Mentor Programs on our website.
