EVP/COO Discusses Her Career, Diversity and What’s Next for the Exchange

Marla Randolph’s journey to Exchange chief operating officer began at a Jackson State University job fair. She already had a job. But the Army & Air Force Exchange Service booth made her curious.

Curious—and a little cautious.

“Many of us assumed that AAFES meant there would be military obligations,” she said. “And I come from a family without a lot of military background, except that my grandfather had served in the Korean War.

“But when I saw the booth, I walked over,” she continued.  “I asked the lady, ‘First of all, before we start, is there any obligation to serve?’ She said ‘No,’ and I said, ‘OK, so what is this all about?’ The person in the booth started to explain what AAFES was.”

Randolph had experience in retail and food, and she had a degree in accounting. At the job fair, she left résumés with some accounting firms, Macy’s and the Exchange. For a while, she didn’t hear anything. She went to the Jackson State career office to ask if there was anything else she should apply for.

“I was sitting there waiting for the counselor to call my name and I looked at the coffee table,” she said. “There was an AAFES catalog sitting on the table—with a yellow Post-It note on it with my name on it. I picked up the book when I went into the office and I said, ‘Ma’am, this book was on the coffee table in the waiting area and it has my name on it.’ And she said, ‘Oh, they were looking for you.’ And I said, ‘Well, you know where to find me.”

She went to Keesler Air Force Base, about 170 miles from Jackson, for an interview. And then a second interview. “A few weeks later I got an acceptance letter and an offer letter in the mail,” she said. “My first assignment was in the Washington, D.C. area, at Andrews Air Force Base. That’s how I started.”

That was in 1993. Since then, Randolph has steadily moved up in the Exchange, including four vice president and senior vice president roles in headquarters as well as the Central, Pacific and Europe/Southwest Asia/Africa regions. In March, Randolph was named executive vice president and COO. The Exchange Post recently talked with about her new role.

What do you hope to bring to your new role as COO?

I want to leave a legacy of trust, compassion and inclusion. I want to use this platform to foster a positive work environment that promotes engagement, partnership and collaboration.

We cannot achieve success if we’re not together. The slogan we use, ‘Better together,’ I’ve used that so many times in my life. We are better together—how could we not be? We can’t ‘serve family’ if we’re not serving one another. When I leave, I want people to know that I fostered an environment that included all people and ideas.

Identifying and nurturing future potential leaders is imperative to allowing the Exchange to prosper for years to come. This organization will be here for another 129 years if we foster and nurture the people we see with potential today. I want our organization to last many more years. We need it. Our community needs it. The military isn’t going anywhere, so we need to stay strong for them.

You’ve served those who serve and have served on five continents. Was there a favorite location?

The most rewarding assignments were Kuwait and Iraq, simply because when you deploy, you realize that what you do is greater than yourself. All selfish behaviors are thrown out the window when you’re in an environment where you see people who need you more than you may have realized.

Once there, you recognize what is expected and you just transform. You begin to see things more clearly. Some of the Soldiers and Airmen look like they’re 12 years old and you just want to take them home and care for them. And they’re depending on you to give them what they need—and sometimes, that’s just a conversation.

On top of that, you have teammates who are depending on you as well. In that environment, we employ more other-country nationals than U.S. associates. And when you work closely with people from other countries, that changes who you are—you understand that they’re trying to feed their families back home. They often deploy due to necessity. While their reason for being there may be different, they bring the same passion and pride to their work.

What are some strong memories from being overseas?

When I was in Kuwait, there was a young man there who was deployed for the first time. When he came to the store, he stopped me and said, ‘Wow, this is a real store!’ I thought, ‘He really thought he was going to the desert and that was going to be it and he wouldn’t be able to make it.’ I asked him, ‘What were you expecting?’ He said, ‘I don’t know—like selling in a tent or off a truck.’ I just wanted to cuddle this kid. We talk about comforts of home but to see it is something completely different.

In Misawa, I was in a car with Nancy Head, Pacific Human Resources manager at the time. Misawa’s mission included flying fighter jets, like F-15s and F-16s. They’re loud and they’re fast. On our way to the other side of the base to check on our facilities, we saw air exercises. F-15s and F-16s were flying and maneuvering. When we started seeing them above, ahead of us, I started bawling.

Nancy asked, ‘What is happening with you?’ I said, ‘I’m having a moment, please forgive me!’ By this time, I was a vice president, but these moments come upon you when you least expect them. I told her, ‘I can’t believe that whoever’s flying that plane is willing to die for you and me. They don’t know you. They don’t know me. But they’re saying that right now, they would put their life on the line for us.’

Diversity & Inclusion is important to you, going beyond your role as an executive champion of the BRIDGE special emphasis group. How do the Exchange and its SEPs spread the word about allyship?

It’s important for senior leaders to lead by example. We need to get the word out more. Allyship is for us to reach beyond ourselves and to touch more people. A lot of times we take for granted that we have people all over the world. We need to reach out downrange. We need to reach out beyond the obvious.

We’re modifying the You Made the Grade program to bring more visibility to children who have special needs, as well as those who are home-schooled. How do we make parents aware that we are committed to helping them celebrate their child’s achievements? After some hard work to make the program more visible, we’re implementing needed updates this school year.

There are people with disabilities you can’t see, like PTSD or autism. We implemented sensory-friendly shopping last year. That was a sensitive yet important opportunity to collaborate with community family programs and installation partners. As SVP of Europe, I asked the GMs if anyone wanted to take that on. The first one to do it was [EUCOM Consolidated Exchange GM] Carla McDowell. She had firsthand knowledge about disabilities, seen and unseen, and leaped at the chance to support and serve.

Diversity today is the not the same diversity as yesterday. We have to get savvy because times have changed. People are evolving. We need to evolve with them. It’s a different workplace today. People are the source of everything we do, and without them, we can’t exist. I spend days thinking about how to make a difference.

What’s the most significant thing that’s happened since you’ve been with the Exchange?

Working with associates downrange. Significance is knowing that there are people out there putting their lives in the hands of others. Despite the risks, our teammates volunteer to be in that environment. Starting last summer, we had several attacks into Iraq. I was sleepless. I was checking in every few minutes, asking our teammates, ‘Chime in—where are you? Talk to me.’ They knew as soon as they received a call, they had to text me. So I’d sit back and try to feel like the world is still going on—but it’s not just going on when you know that people are working to take care of service members, and their lives are on the line every day. It’s significant just knowing that people are safe, yet willing to risk it all. That’s significant.

What’s ahead for the Exchange?

I think we’re going to continue to be successful. We work well under pressure. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll be here in 100 years as long as we continue to do things with honesty, integrity and morality. The Exchange will always overcome adversity. We’ve proven it over and over again. I’m confident that we continue.

What’s your favorite thing about working here?

The people I meet. There are so many people with so many backgrounds, stories, and passion. I thrive on the opportunities to educate. When I visit the stores, I enjoy talking to people: ‘Tell me what you do’ or ‘Why are you doing that?’ The opportunities to have those conversations and meet people from all over the world are just incredible. You learn so much and they’re so excited to tell you their story.

What was your first job before the Exchange?

I was 15 years old, and I worked at Burger King. I think it’s where I first realized that I was going to be a leader. I was always taking charge, and the managers would run errands and leave me the keys and say, ‘Marla, you’re in charge.’ I’d be in the store with grown-ups and people in college, and I’d be running the store at 15 years old. I’d do everything like I owned the business.

We got robbed one time when I was there and the boss was gone and my mom said, ‘You have to quit.’ I said, ‘I don’t want to quit! That’s my Burger King!’ I started realizing what leadership is and that it wasn’t just that I was bossy as my siblings alleged.

What do you do in your spare time?

I’m a homebody. I read the news online, I stream TV shows and movies. I love to cook. I’ll look at recipes and just reinvent them. It soothes me. My grandfather was a chef. He worked at two restaurants every day, one in the day and one at night, and I think that’s why I’m so interested. My uncle also cooked at restaurants for over 30 years. I’ll learn how to do a plate from a Food Network shows. I’m never that fancy. Other than that, it’s a regular home-cooked meal.

What does Family Serving Family mean to you?

Caring for each other regardless. Externally and internally. Knowing why we’re here. Taking care of service members and taking care of our own house, the Exchange family.