Dollar General Announces Bob Ravener to Retire in May 2019
Mar 14, 2019
Dollar General today announced the planned retirement of Bob Ravener, executive vice president and chief people officer, effective May 27, 2019.
“Bob’s strategy and vision for Dollar General and the human resources function have been instrumental in supporting our growth and success as the Company has added more than 60,000 net new jobs under his leadership. His influence as a human resources innovator is evidenced throughout the Company, particularly around his impactful approach to developing programs, world-class training and robust benefits that help our employees realize their career aspirations,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “On behalf of the entire Dollar General family, I would like to thank Bob for all of his meaningful contributions to our Company and wish him and his family the very best wishes during this next chapter.” Notable achievements under Bob’s leadership include:
- No. 1 worldwide ranking in Training magazine’s Top 125 list for 2019
- Unprecedented levels of internal promotions achieved, now numbering more than 50,000 per year
- New heights of employee satisfaction reached, far surpassing retail benchmarks
- Significantly-enhanced employee benefits programs
- Freedom Award recipient for military support, highest civilian honor awarded by Department of Defense
- Established and expanded employee resource groups; DG recognized for promoting diversity and inclusion
In addition to Bob’s strong positioning of the human resources function in the Company’s operating priorities, he has been passionately dedicated to the military community and veterans. He helped form Dollar General’s SERVE employee resource group that focuses on supporting the active service members, veterans and their families, as well as help develop and implement the Paychecks for Patriots initiative that aims to connect veterans transitioning to civilian life with meaningful employment opportunities. Bob was also a member of the President’s National Hire Veterans Committee and the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee for Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach.
Prior to joining Dollar General, Bob served as Senior Vice President U.S. Partner Resources for the Starbucks Coffee Company and Vice President, Human Resources for The Home Depot. He also previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Personnel Officer with Footstar, Inc. and spent 11 years with PepsiCo, Inc. in positions of increasing responsibility.
Prior to entering the private sector, Bob served in the U.S. Navy as a Strategic Weapons Submarine Officer aboard the USS Daniel Webster (SSBN 626), a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine. He was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for his tour of duty. Bob finished his active duty service at the United States Naval Academy where he served as an instructor, coach, and recruiter. He also spent time in the Naval Reserves following active duty.
Bob graduated from the United States Naval Academy, where he earned distinction as a leader, intercollegiate varsity baseball player and is past president of his class. He also earned an MBA from New York University.
He has served as board chairman of the Tennessee Workforce Development Board, Human Capital Advisory Council member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and chairman of the Human Resources Leaders Council for Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). He has also been recognized for his leadership and service by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, the Tennessee National Guard and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).