Our Leadership Team

Michael Teel

Owner, Chairman of the Board & CEO

Mike Teel—grandson of Raley’s founder Tom Raley and son of Raley’s second-generation leaders Joyce Raley Teel and Jim Teel—learned the grocery business from an early age. Today, he carries on the legacy as third-generation owner of the largest family-owned company in the greater Sacramento area.

Mike inspires the company with a sense of enthusiasm for the business and responsibility to the communities Raley’s serves. His passion lies in empowering people to make sustainable and healthy food choices. He is committed to delivering a personalized customer experience, inspiring team member engagement and supporting long-term family ownership.

Mike began his path at Raley’s bagging groceries. After earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Whittier College, he became a store manager. He later led innovations in the bakery and the company’s Bay Area expansion.

In the 1990s, Mike progressed in senior leadership positions, becoming chief operating officer in 1995; president in 1996; and chief executive officer in 1998. In 2002, Mike left the company to pursue independent business ventures, returning in 2010 as president & CEO. He became majority owner of Raley’s in 2015.

Mike is on the board of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, a group of CEOs working to retain, attract, grow and create sustainable businesses in the Sacramento region.

Jen Warner

President & Chief Operations Officer

Jen Warner serves as President & Chief Operations Officer of The Raley’s Companies (TRC).  An accomplished executive with a modern approach to operations and growth, Jen leads TRC’s enterprise-wide business functions with a focus on people, purpose, and performance.

In her role, Jen oversees all Operating Divisions, along with the Supply Chain; Sales and Merchandising; Loyalty, Digital, and eCommerce; Growth and Transformation; Marketing; Public Relations and Government Affairs; and Legal functions, driving impact and stakeholder alignment across the TRC enterprise.

Jen joined Raley’s in 2020 as Chief Administrative Officer and was instrumental in accelerating the company’s long-range strategic plan, including a period of growth that doubled the size of the organization through a series of acquisitions. She has since served as President of Raley’s Operating Division (2021–2024) and as Chief Growth & Transformation Officer (2025–2026), helping position the company for its next chapter of growth.

Prior to Raley’s, Jen held senior leadership roles at multinational public companies including Con-way Inc., XPO Logistics, Inc., and Columbia Sportswear Company. With a background in law, she began her career in private practice at Davis Wright Tremaine and Stoel Rives and earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Originally from Salt Lake City, Jen grew up in the grocery business, working alongside her grandfather at his neighborhood market. Outside of work, she is a devoted mom of two and enjoys spending time with her family, who share a love of sports, cooking, skateboarding, languages, and music.

Tiffanie Burkhalter

President & Chief Financial Officer

Tiffanie Burkhalter serves as President and Chief Financial Officer for The Raley’s Companies. A seasoned executive with a rare blend of fiscal rigor and operational intuition, Tiffanie oversees the enterprise’s primary administrative engines, including Finance, Technology, Human Resources, Real Estate, and Risk Management.

Tiffanie’s career is defined by a consistent track record of scaling high-growth divisions and navigating complex business transformations. During her tenure at VSP Vision, she transitioned from Retail CFO to VP of eCommerce and COO, ultimately serving as President of VSP Ventures. This progression proved her ability to lead through significant operational expansion. Her foundational expertise was honed at Ernst & Young, where she led client-serving teams across a diverse array of industries.

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a sophisticated background in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and enterprise integration, Tiffanie excels at driving organizational growth while maintaining fiscal discipline. Beyond the office, she is a dedicated advocate for community wellness, serving on the board of Food for Families. Tiffanie resides in Northern California with her husband and two children, where they share a passion for travel, sports, and active service.

Paul Gianetto

PRESIDENT, RALEY’S FAMILY OF STORES

Paul Gianetto has enjoyed more than 35 years in the grocery retail industry, starting his career at a small chain of family-owned convenience stores in Anaheim, Ca., where he was born and raised. From there, Paul began a 21-year stint with Ralphs Grocery Company, where he excelled through all levels of store management prior to joining their corporate ranks, including roles in marketing, advertising and merchandising in southern and northern California.

After joining Raley’s in 2008, Gianetto began in-store operations, quickly moving into a key merchandising support role leading strategic pricing, category management and procurement. Paul was promoted to Director of Grocery in 2013, then to Vice President of Center Store in early 2017. He oversees the performance and growth of Raley’s stores across California and Nevada and the Natomas Distribution operations. Additionally, Paul manages managing all segments of the sales & merchandising functions.

Gianetto serves on the executive committee for the Northern California City of Hope board of directors and is highly engaged with Raley’s Food For Families. He was recently elected to the Western Association of Food Chain’s board of directors in 2018. Gianetto graduated from the USC Food Industry Management Program class of 1994 and also graduated from Cal Polytechnic University, Pomona, School of Business in 1988. Paul and his wife, Valerie, live in Folsom with their two children.

Carol Barsotti

Enterprise Communications & President of fieldTRUE

Carol Barsotti serves as Chief Communications Officer for The Raley’s Companies and President of fieldTRUE, where she leads efforts to advance the company’s vision of changing the way the world eats one plate at a time. A founding member of fieldTRUE, now part of The Raley’s Companies, Carol oversees all strategic initiatives, expansion into new markets, and technology innovation.

Carol began her career in public policy, working for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., and California before joining her family’s business to modernize what consumers could expect from a farm box service.

As Chief Communications Officer, Carol leads The Raley’s Companies public image and community engagement strategy, overseeing government affairs, public relations, and community impact. Her deep understanding of local food systems and policy informs her work to strengthen community impact and advocate for a healthier, more resilient food system.

Carol holds a Master of Public Administration and Policy from American University and a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She serves as president of the Kathleen Barsotti Non-Profit for Sustainable Agriculture and is a board member of Raley’s Food for Families. Carol and her husband, Freeman, have four children.

Freeman Barsotti

Enterprise risk & corporate strategy

As SVP Enterprise Logistics and Integration, Freeman identifies and executes on opportunities across the enterprise to enhance business operations and to support efficiency and market expansion. During 15 years as co-CEO, his innovative technology development and strategic thinking expanded the level of convenience and service traditionally available to community supported farm box programs.  

With a commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture and local food systems, Freeman built a strong financial model and operational efficiencies that enabled farmers to aggregate and deliver produce directly to consumers. This allowed fieldTRUE’s brands to grow rapidly into new markets, successfully implement flexible home delivery and provide custom e-commerce features that connect consumers with hundreds of local sourcing relationships.  

Freeman holds a bachelor’s degree in Bio-Resource and Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. Freeman and his wife, Carol, have four children. 

Craig Benson

Technology

Craig Benson joined Raley’s in 1999 and currently serves as Chief Technology Information Officer. Over the years, he has held key leadership roles across technology infrastructure, business development, enterprise architecture, and information security.

In 2015, Craig’s role was expanded to lead Raley’s Technology Services team. Under his guidance, the team has successfully driven the company’s digital transformation, positioning Raley’s as a forward-thinking, technology-enabled retailer. With over 25 years of experience in the retail industry, Craig brings a customer-centric mindset while empowering team members with the tools and systems needed to fulfill the company’s mission.

Craig holds a degree in Business Information Systems from the University of Phoenix and earned a Master’s in Management and Leadership from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. He is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). He and his wife, Dottie, live in Northern California with their two children.

Mike Gabbert

Human Resources

Mike Gabbert is a results-driven and passionate servant leader who serves as the head of Human Resources for The Raley’s Companies. In his role, Mike leads the organizations’ HR strategy and functions including team member relations, learning and development, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits and labor relations.

He joined the Raley’s team in 1981 as a courtesy clerk and has held many store-level leadership positions, including Store Team Leader. In 2000, Mike was appointed HR Business Partner, and in 2007, he became Director of Operations Administration, working closely with operations while also overseeing fuel center operations, e-cart and facility maintenance. He was appointed Director of Distribution in 2017.

Mike graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Human Resources Management, and a Minor in Economics.

Helen Singmaster Hernandez

Legal

Helen Singmaster Hernandez serves as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. In this role Helen leads the company’s legal function and oversees the HIPAA Privacy Office.  She has deep expertise in corporate law, mergers and acquisition, real estate and privacy.   

Prior to joining Raley’s Helen worked as a business attorney at Downey Brand, where she handled a variety of complex transactions, including Raley’s acquisition of Nob Hill Foods.  Helen earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and obtained her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. Helen is a graduate of the Executive Program at UC Davis Extension and the Food Industry Executive Program at the USC Marshall School of Business. 

As a leader motivated by ethics, Helen believes success goes beyond following the law and depends on doing what is right.   

Helen, a mom, stepmom and abuela, shares her love of fine food, swimming and the great outdoors with her husband of over 20 years, Paul. 

Deirdre Zimmermann

Customer Experience

Deirdre Zimmermann is a marketing leader with more than 25 years of retail marketing experience, passionate about developing brands and connecting people to purpose. Zimmermann joined Raley’s leadership team in 2015 as Senior Vice President of Marketing, overseeing all touchpoints in the customer journey including advertising, loyalty and e-commerce. Promoted to Chief Customer Experience Officer in 2018, she is instrumental in shaping our team member and customer experience to continue to evolve the brand, centered around our purpose of improving the health of the people we serve.

She has served as vice president of marketing for several specialty retailers, including Brookstone and White House Black Market. She moved up through the industry, working both in-house and for ad agencies representing major brands such as Fitigues, Jil Sander, The Field Museum and Talbots.

Zimmermann and her husband have one child and share a common passion for healthy food and entertaining.