Blake Oliva

Background

About Blake Oliva

Anyone who says winning isn't everything, shouldn't be on your team!" Granted, this is not the normal advice that fathers give their sons as they enter little league sports.but I was the exception. My father didn't mean that it was okay to play dirty and without morals. He meant, anyone without the will to win, isn't someone that will be instrumental in your team's success. As a leader of people for over 20 years, I have always been motivated to instill that will into my teams. From my first job as a bagger for H.E.B grocery, I knew that I had a passion for service. As I moved through the ranks to run my own store, I realized that I had a passion for leadership. After more than 25 years in retail, those passions are stronger than ever. In my 11 years as a multi unit manager and over 14 years as a Store Manager, I have a proven history of building dynamic teams that believe in a customer- centric approach to growing revenue and profitability. As a district manager, I have grown average transaction size by more than 5% as well as driving steadily increasing online order rates. I have led my team to be # 1 in customer service for multiple years, reduced shrink by more than 30%, and developed countless individuals to reach their ultimate potential. My ability to adapt to the rapidly changing need of the retail customer and to ensure that brick and mortar remains relevant keeps me inspired and motivated. In my free time, I enjoy being a USSF certified soccer referee. As a former coach, player and now referee, I find striking parallels between the game and my profession. If you build a team with the right players, in the right positions and inspire them to all play their part, there isn't a team you can't beat.