7-ELEVEN “UNDERCOVER BOSS” A YEAR LATER
7-Eleven CEO Joe De Pinto was horrified when he was invited to appear on the first episode of “Undercover Boss,” but coworkers managed to talk him into it. He disguised himself with whiskers and a fake name and went to work in 7-Eleven retail stores on Long Island and Texas, and the corporate bakery in Baltimore. For seven days he slaved away on day and night shifts and met his workers and it opened his eyes. The show aired on February 21, 2010 and was an instant hit. Now, a year later, he told the LA Times that the experience led him to improve employee relations and advancement. He was SO impressed with one delivery man he met, that he GAVE him a franchise. Every time the popular show runs in Europe, De Pinto still gets 40 or 50 emails. He’s glad he did it. And CBS has renewed the series. (This show always makes us cry!)