East Bay Business Times -
by Mike Consol East Bay Business Times publisher
Friday, August 8, 2008
Stephanie Secrest | East Bay Business Times
Jelly Belly President Robert Simpson
Favorite flavor jelly bean: I have two favorites - pink grapefruit and toasted marshmallow.
First job: Grave digger at a pet cemetery when I was 15.
Business philosophy: Keep things simple.
How do you stay motivated: I hold myself accountable to a standard and that's plenty of motivation.
Guiding principle: Trust my instincts.
Definition of success: To me Jelly Belly is the definition of success and it's my job not to mess that up.
Goal yet to be achieved: To find the right balance of work and family.
Best decision: By far and away, to marry my wife, Carolie. I should have asked her sooner.
Definition of leadership: Leading by example. I'd never expect others to do what I wouldn't do myself.
Biggest missed opportunity: I was quite a good golfer at an early age but got interested in girls and other sports. I would like to know where the golf could have taken me, because I had great natural skills for the sport. I don't anymore.
Mentor: Frank McMinn, the vice president of marketing and advertising at Raley's. He taught me many things not only about the grocery business but about business in general.
Word that best describes you: Driven.
Like least about job: Anything to do with lawyers and dealing with legal issues.
Interests: Golf, projects around the house, hunting and fishing.
Pet peeve: The way our society is intent on placing blame on outside influences rather than holding people responsible. Everybody seems to think if you're fat then the food's making you fat. There's no personal accountability anymore.
Most important lesson learned: Life is not always fair.
Person most interested in meeting: Gen. George S. Patton. My uncle served under him in World War II and he was killed in February 1945. I've always wondered what was going on in Patton's mind during those days and those battles.
Greatest fear: Failure.
Idea of perfect happiness: Spending time with my family in faraway vacations experiencing new things.
Greatest strength: The determination and will to succeed.
Characteristic most admired: Integrity.
Characteristic most deplored: Arrogance.
First choice for a new career: Fly-fishing guide on the Deschutes River in Oregon.
Current state of mind: Preoccupied with spending too much time working in the business and not enough time on the business.
How do you deal with disappointment: It's a temporary setback and I work to overcome it.
How do you deal with stress: I don't know what the secret formula is but I could probably use some guidance.
Question you want answered: What the Russians were thinking when Reagan called their bluff by challenging them to tear down the Berlin Wall.
Most influential book: "The Human Side of Enterprise," by Douglas McGregor.
Favorite word: Sweet. A lot of people use that these days. I like that. It fits right into our business.
Most cherished possession: Family photo albums and the memories they contain.
Name: Robert Simpson
Company: Jelly Belly Candy Co.
Title: President and chief operating officer.
Years with company: 9
Career: Senior director of marketing and merchandising, Raley's Inc., the 149-store supermarket chain.
Boards: National Confections Association, Solano Economic Development Corp.
Education: Studied education at Sacramento State University.
Residence: Fairfield
Family: Wife Carolie, daughters Allison and Jessica
