News Category: Culture

Voices of Grubhub: Jim Osborne, Vice President of Restaurants, on Building Strong Partnerships, Growing Grubhub’s Marketplace, and Leading with Curiosity

To spotlight different perspectives and give an inside look at Grubhub, we’re highlighting leaders from across the organization. This month, we sat down with Jim Osborne, Vice President of Restaurants, to hear how he’s strengthening relationships with restaurant partners, shaping the future of Grubhub’s marketplace, and bringing a “curiosity-first” leadership style to the work ahead.

A quick round to get to know Jim:

  • Favorite Grubhub order: I’m a big fan of Mino’s, a local spot along the North Shore in Chicago, exclusively available on Grubhub. My team actually signed them earlier this year, which was a huge win! Their pizzas, pastas, and salads are a family favorite at my house.
  • Book you’ve read (or listened to) recently that you’d recommend: I’m currently listening to My Effin’ Life, the autobiography of Geddy Lee from Rush. As a Canadian, I grew up on Rush, so it’s been a fun listen on long drives. On the leadership side, my top recommendation is the TED Talk Everyday Leadership by Drew Dudley. It’s six minutes long and incredibly impactful.
  • Coffee or tea: Coffee. Black and plentiful.
  • Favorite way to unwind after a busy week: Sitting on our screened-in porch with my wife, the dogs, a bottle of red wine, good music, and a Grubhub order. That’s my ideal Friday night.
  • Favorite productivity hack: I rely heavily on Siri voice reminders, especially the location-based ones. If I’m out meeting restaurants, I’ll say, “Remind me when I get home to follow up on this.” It keeps the small things from slipping through the cracks.
  • A typical workday: Lots of meetings: with my team, cross-functional partners, and restaurant leaders. It’s a steady rhythm of conversations and problem-solving.
  • A typical weekend: Much more relaxed. My kids are older, so weekends involve projects around the house, time with family, and if the weather cooperates, a round of golf.

You’ve been at Grubhub for a little over a year and a half. What made you want to join?
I spent 12 years at US Foods and fell in love with the restaurant industry. It’s an incredibly tough business with long hours, tight margins, and so much heart. That made me passionate about helping restaurants be more successful.

When I met with Howard, he painted a compelling vision for how Grubhub could do exactly that, and how we were positioned for real growth. I was also drawn to the challenger mindset. Being a challenger means you get to try new things, break things, and move fast. That was exciting and appealing to me. 

You’ve worked across several different companies and industries. What did you learn in those roles that shape how you lead today?
Every company I’ve worked for — Home Depot, Sears, Loblaw, US Foods — had a different culture. Across all of them, three things consistently stood out to me:

  1. The power of relationships: Strong relationships make everything easier — within your team, across the organization, and with customers. Trust allows for real conversations and faster problem-solving.
  2. Passion: I look for people who genuinely love what they do and bring energy to it. Passion shows up in how someone tackles challenges and drives change.
  3. Curiosity: People often define sales as “always be closing,” but my version is always be curious. Curiosity pushes you to ask better questions, explore new solutions, and think differently about how to help restaurants succeed.

Tell us about the Merchant Network team. What are the core responsibilities and focus areas?
Our team manages the restaurant side of Grubhub’s marketplace — the full network of merchants that powers our platform. This includes:

  • Signing great restaurants of all sizes
  • Growing and strengthening existing partnerships
  • Supporting restaurants with their operational success
  • Retaining partners by delivering value, reliability, and strong relationships
  • Managing everything from neighborhood independents to national brands

At the end of the day, our job is to ensure diners find the restaurants they love, and to help those restaurants grow their business on Grubhub.

What are some notable restaurant wins from this year that you’re proud of?
We’ve had tremendous success nationwide, but New York has been a major focus and proof point. This year, we signed some incredible names, including John’s of Bleecker Street, Momoya, Jack’s Wife Freda, Nami Nori, and Anthony & Sons Panini Shoppe. These are iconic spots that help strengthen our leadership position in the market.

But it’s not just New York. We’ve added incredible restaurants and meaningfully improved the assortment across the entire country. One story that really stands out to me is a long-running family deli in New Jersey. They’ve operated the same way for decades with phone orders, a fax machine, and a small storefront that locals know by heart. They are cash only, and if someone called in an order and didn’t make it in before closing time, they’d literally leave the sandwich at the pharmacy across the street and settle up next time.

Seeing a place like that embrace Grubhub for pickup — and immediately reach a new set of customers — was incredibly rewarding. It’s such a powerful reminder of why our work matters. Whether it’s a national enterprise brand or a multigenerational independent, we can help restaurants grow in ways they never could before.

Enterprise is an important part of our marketplace. How is your team nurturing relationships in that space?
With enterprise, we largely have the supply, but the unlock now is demand generation. That means deepening relationships, expanding locations, adding pickup options, partnering on major marketing moments, like the McDonald’s Monopoly program, and leveraging our strong campus presence, where students over-index on enterprise brands. 

We’ve made great progress, and there’s a lot more opportunity to accelerate heading into 2026.

How do you balance the focus on New York with growing supply in other cities?
New York has been a key focus and an important testbed, but we’ve been expanding supply everywhere. In fact, so far in 2025, we’ve signed up restaurants in over 7,300 cities and communities across the US.  

With national partnerships like Amazon and Instacart, plus big moments coming in 2026 like a commercial during the Big Game, it’s important to keep building our supply everywhere. We want diners in every city to open the app and see fantastic choices

Why are relationships with restaurants so important to Grubhub’s success?
In this industry, relationships are everything. For independents, it’s about the trust built over time. For enterprise brands, it’s about consistency, partnership, and being easy to work with. A great example: We recently received a letter from one of our top 25 restaurant partners in the country, and he spoke so powerfully about how the relationship with our team and hands-on support have helped his business thrive. That conversation really reinforced for me that these relationships aren’t just nice to have; they’re core to Grubhub’s success, to restaurant loyalty, and to what makes our marketplace stronger.

What are you most proud of your team for this year?
Their resilience and versatility. We’ve pivoted multiple times — leaning into New York, expanding supply nationally, navigating the end of fee caps in NYC, and supporting major partner changes. The team has handled every shift with ownership and energy. Their ability to adapt and keep delivering is what I’m most proud of.

What’s the best piece of leadership advice you’ve ever received?
Two pieces have stuck with me: “You have two ears and one mouth — use them in that proportion.” A good reminder to listen first.

“Assume positive intent.” It’s easy to get defensive. If you pause and assume the other person is coming from the right place, the conversation completely changes.

How have you evolved as a leader over time?
Early in my career, I focused mostly on my direct team. Over time — especially during COVID — I realized the importance of connecting more broadly.

I started scheduling 15-minute skip-levels with people at all levels. Sometimes we talked strategy; sometimes it was what they were watching on Netflix. It wasn’t formal mentorship, it was connection. And it helped people feel part of something bigger. I still try to prioritize that today.

You’ve developed a reputation for turning strategy into action. How do you approach that with your teams?
One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Thomas Edison: “Strategy without execution is hallucination.”

The strategy aligns us, but execution is where the work happens. To me, that means being clear on direction, empowering people to act like owners, staying curious, and focusing on getting things done. I’m a big believer in GSD — “get shit done.” That’s how points get on the scoreboard.

What excites you most about where we’re headed in 2026?
I’m wildly optimistic. We’re seeing sparks everywhere — order growth, new restaurant wins, the Instacart partnership, and a major media plan coming together. The momentum is real. We’re on the right path, and now it’s about accelerating.

If you could have any other job at Grubhub or Wonder for a day, what would it be and why?
I’d trade places with Marnie Kain (VP, Head of Brand), but only on a specific day — either when she gets to see all the commercial pitches for the Big Game, or the day she’s on set filming the commercial. That would be incredible.

Voices of Grubhub: Hayley Pedrick, Vice President of Corporate Accounts, on Building Teams and Leadership, Staying Resilient Under Pressure, and Driving Growth and Strategy

To spotlight different perspectives and give an inside look at Grubhub, we’re highlighting leaders from across the organization. This month, we sat down with Hayley Pedrick, Vice President of Corporate Accounts, to hear how she’s energizing her team for growth, shaping a long-term strategy for the business, and finding new ways to blend Grubhub and Wonder together to meet corporate customers’ evolving needs.


A quick round to get to know Hayley:

  • Favorite Grubhub order: I love Thai Kit in Connecticut (near where I live). I order a double order of mango & sticky rice since I like it too much to share.
  • Book you’ve read recently that you’d recommend: The Overstory by Richard Powers — it’s so different from what I usually read. A former coworker who used to work for the National Forest Service recommended it as ‘the tree book,’ and it completely pulled me in. It follows a handful of people — conservationists, researchers, everyday folks — and weaves their lives together through their relationships with trees. It made me think about nature and change in a completely different way.
  • Coffee or tea: Usually neither. I don’t drink much caffeine … although, since having my second child, Diet Coke has made a comeback.
  • Favorite way to unwind after a busy week: I actually use the week to unwind from the weekend — a couple hours in Excel on Monday is my ideal unwinding version.
  • Favorite productivity hack: I’m obsessed with Google’s NotebookLM. It’s not just a summary tool, it’s like having a personal researcher. You can drop in background materials, ask it to create a 15-minute podcast or summary on a topic, and listen while you’re commuting or walking the dog. When you’re ramping up on something new — say, a partnership area or industry trend — it pulls from multiple sources and distills what matters most. It saves hours of prep time and helps me absorb context quickly so I can focus on making decisions instead of just gathering information.
  • A typical work day: Keeping everyone alive and fed! But actually, with two kids (2½ and 6 months) and our lab/shepherd rescue, it takes hours to get everyone out the door. I work best in the morning, so anything big I need to get done I’ll do in the morning during my “heads down” time. From there, my day is usually filled with meetings until the kids come home, family time and then I’ll finish up anything I need to from the couch once they are asleep. 

You’re relatively new to Grubhub. What made you want to join?
The vision and energy around it were huge for me. Marc’s path for the company is ambitious but doable. It makes sense, and you can see how to get there step by step. I was energized by how much people believe in where we’re headed and how every team is connected to that growth story.

What’s something that’s surprised you so far, either about the Corporate Accounts team or Grubhub overall?
The resilience of the team. Grubhub’s been through a lot of change over the past several years — and still, people are positive, focused, and ready to go back into growth mode. Every month brings something new, and the team just keeps moving forward.

You’ve worked in both consulting and startups. What did you learn in those roles that shapes how you lead today?
At Bain, I focused on five-to-ten-year strategy projects and M&A work — that taught me how to take a 15,000-foot view of markets and growth plans. Then at Brightwheel, I learned how critical people are to making that strategy actually work. You can’t just put a vision on a slide; you need the right people in the right roles who believe in it and own it.

What are your top priorities for the Corporate Accounts team?
The first priority was people — filling open roles and getting the right leaders in place. From there, the focus has been on both short-term execution and long-term strategy, whether that means improving inbound processes or laying the groundwork for transforming how Grubhub serves businesses. We’re also beginning to heavily invest in team development — growing leadership capabilities and building a stronger internal pipeline so the team is ready when new opportunities arise. It’s about building capability and confidence while delivering results in real time.

All three of these priorities are happening at once, which makes the work both challenging and exciting.

How can Grubhub differentiate in the corporate food space?
Everyone offers the same core products — line of credit, group orders, catering — so true differentiation comes from being the best at solving the underlying customer pain points – attracting and retaining talent, streamlining operations and cutting costs. I can’t go into too much detail now, but we’ll have some exciting news to share next year.

How does being part of Wonder help support that strategy?
It opens a lot of doors. The breadth of what’s being built across Wonder creates new possibilities for what we can do for our corporate customers. Grubhub alone could have grown Corporate Accounts, but Wonder’s ecosystem lets us move faster and serve more needs with one integrated offering.

What’s the best piece of leadership advice you’ve ever received?
“Stop waiting for someone to give you the plan, go make the plan.”

That’s been core for me. No matter your level or tenure, understand what the company and your team need, build your own plan, and bring it forward. If you wait for direction, you won’t learn as quickly or drive as much impact.

A fun fact about you is that you once spent time as a scuba instructor — what did you take away from that experience?
I was! After my time in management consulting, I took a few months off and became a dive master in Indonesia where I led groups and taught lessons. It was an incredible experience, and it completely changed how I handle pressure. When you’re 100 feet underwater and something goes wrong, panicking doesn’t help anyone. You have to stay calm, read the situation, and guide people to safety.

That mindset translates directly into leadership. When things get tense at work, I remind myself that this isn’t life or death. Take a breath, stay grounded, and focus on solving the problem the right way. It’s about creating calm so others can think clearly, too. That allows us to do better and do more.

If you could have any other job at Grubhub for a day, what would it be and why?
Finance in an FP&A role. I love spreadsheets and the strategic side of finance, but only for a day! 

Seamless Fuels NYC’s Biggest Race with a City-Wide Carbo Crawl, Exclusive Merch Drop, and Special Offers

New York runs differently. It races, it cheers, it carb-loads, and it celebrates every mile. To celebrate NYC’s big race, Seamless is fueling  runners, spectators, and neighborhoods across all five boroughs with exclusive food deals, limited-edition merch, and special offers that capture the energy – and appetite – of the city.

Here’s how Seamless is powering up New Yorkers this race season:

  • City-Wide Carbo Crawl: Before raceday, it’s all about the carbs, and no one does carbs like New Yorkers. From bagels to pizza to dumplings, Seamless’ Carbo Crawl spotlights the restaurants that keep this city running. From October 20–November 2, Seamless is serving up 25% off orders of $15+ (up to $10 off) from more than 55 iconic NYC restaurants, including Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, Levain, Tacombi, Jack’s Wife Freda, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, and Di Fara Pizza by Wonder.* A full list of participating restaurants is available below and in the Seamless app.
  • Limited-Edition Run Club Merch: Seamless partnered with Queens native and food-art icon Justin Wu (@HungryArtistNYC) to design exclusive Run Club gear, complete with bold, mouthwatering artwork inspired by NYC’s favorite eats. The collection features cozy crewnecks and custom race-day signs that celebrate New York’s unstoppable spirit. Available starting October 21 at SeamlessRunClub.com, while supplies last. The merch is first come, first serve and no purchase necessary!*
  • And Even More Special Offers! First-time NYC diners can take 26% off their first order of $15+ (up to $15 off) from any restaurant with code RUN26 at checkout.*

From Brooklyn to the Bronx, New Yorkers know how to fuel up and keep moving because when NYC runs, Seamless delivers.

For more information on Seamless, visit Seamless.com or download the Seamless app.

*Full terms and conditions can be found here.

Participating restaurants include: Al Horno’s, Alanza Pizza, Avo – Salads & Bowls, Bagel Box, Baya Bar, Bello & Angelo, Birria-Landia, Bobby Flay Steak, Brett’s Deli, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, Brooklyn’s Finest Pizza & Restaurant, Clinton St. Baking Company, Detroit Brick Pizza Co, Di Fara Pizza by Wonder, Duzan, Ess-a-Bagel, Fields Good Chicken, Fornino, Fred’s Meat & Bread by Wonder, Gregorys Coffee, Insomnia Cookies, Jack’s Wife Freda, Juice Press, JV Food Hall, Kam Rai Thai, Kin House, Lenny Tan, Levain Bakery, Limesalt, Magnolia Bakery, Manhattan Gourmet Desserts, Melt Shop, Mexology by Ivy Stark, Milk Bar, Miss Yolo’s Tacos, Mori Mori, NY Bakery and Desserts, NY Patisserie, NY Popcorn and Desserts, Panino Rustico, Pastrami Factory, Pret a Manger, Royal Greens, SAMBAZON Acai Bowls & Smoothies, Settepani Bakery, SriPraPhai by Wonder, Smashed NYC, Sushi & Bento by Mr. Lim, Tacombi, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, Tejas Barbecue by Wonder, Tex’s Chicken and Burgers, The Maiz Project, The Mainstay by Marc Murphy, The Rogue Boba, The Rogue Panda, Vanderbilt Market, Walnut Lane by Jonathan Waxman, Wing Trip, and more.

Slept Through that Late Night Food Delivery? Grubhub Snooze Insurance has College Students Covered

The newest, limited-time Grubhub+ Student perk offers a do-over meal for the one that didn’t quite go as planned

Oct. 15, 2025 – We’ve all been there: waking up to a sad bag of food on the doorstep, immediately regretting snoozing through that late-night delivery. No one knows the struggle better than college students — so much so that Grubhub found 72% of college students have missed their late-night delivery order throughout their college career.* It’s giving “oops.” 

Now Grubhub is addressing this college reality with Grubhub Snooze Insurance – a first-of-its-kind perk for Grubhub+ Student diners. It’s basically a second-chance meal delivery for when you just can’t make it to “I’ve arrived with your order.”

A Little Snooze Doesn’t Mean You Lose –  But Don’t Wait!
From pizza to chicken nuggets (we see you, midnight cravings), Grubhub Snooze Insurance gives students a make-up meal to replace the one they slept through. Starting this week through November 1, Grubhub+ Student members can text “DELIVERY” to 1-844-954-OOPS (6677)** every Saturday at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET to score a $15 promo code towards their do-over Grubhub meal ($15 order minimum). 

A limited supply of codes drop weekly on a first-come, first-served basis, just in time for the biggest late-night weekend of the year: Halloweekend. So don’t sleep on it, literally. If you snag a code, order fast, as these will go quick!

“We know the drill: students get a late-night craving, place their Grubhub order, and then between studying and late-night hangs, the couch wins and sleep sneaks in,” said Christopher Krautler, Director of Grubhub Consumer Communications and Brand Marketing. “Grubhub Snooze Insurance is about understanding that college life runs on its own schedule. If anyone deserves a second chance at getting that midnight fix, it’s students juggling academics, social life, and sleep.”

Grubhub+ Student is Built for College Life
Snooze Insurance*** joins a lineup of perks built for the realities of student living, available at 400+ partner schools nationwide, including:

  • $0 delivery from off-campus favorites on eligible orders
  • Discounted priority delivery on eligible orders
  • 5% credit back on pickup orders off-campus
  • Flexible payment options that work with or without a meal plan
  • Promo codes, giveaways, and more rewards exclusive for individual campus partners

Grubhub+ Student is free for four years through graduation and fuels students around the clock. To check if your school participates and sign up, visit grubhub.com/about/campus.

For more information about student offerings from Grubhub, follow Grubhub on X, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.

*Source: Grubhub online survey of 1,049 respondents via Dynata in April 2025

**Reply STOP to opt out. Reply HELP for help. Standard message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. We will not share or sell your mobile information with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes

***Terms and fees apply

Grubhub Marks Hunger Action Month by Expanding Support to Combat Food Insecurity in Chicago and New York City

At Grubhub, closing the hunger gap is a key focus of our community impact efforts. Through the Grubhub Community Fund, we work to reduce food insecurity, recover and redirect food that would otherwise go to waste, and support the organizations leading this fight. 

This September, in recognition of Hunger Action Month, we deepened our impact in New York City and Chicago with volunteer events, matching grants, and ongoing support for the Food Bank for New York City and Greater Chicago Food Depository — two organizations that each partner with 800+ pantries and community groups to reach families in need. Together, more than 110 Grubhub employees packed over 20,000 pounds of food, and the Grubhub Community Fund amplified their efforts with $100,000 in matching grants across both cities.

“After years of partnering with the Food Bank for NYC and the Greater Chicago Food Depository during Hunger Action Month, I’m proud we continue to find new ways to strengthen these relationships and drive meaningful impact to combat food insecurity,” said Brianna Morris, associate director of community impact at Grubhub. “Launching employee volunteer days in both NYC and Chicago has been especially rewarding. It’s inspiring to see our team step into the community, lend a hand, and deepen their understanding of the difference this work makes to help close the hunger gap.” 

Across our offices, teams rolled up their sleeves for volunteer days that brought employees into the heart of the fight against food insecurity. In New York, employees gathered at Food Bank For NYC’s Distribution Center in the Bronx, and in Chicago, they headed to the Greater Chicago Food Depository headquarters — repacking food at both organizations. Together, these efforts helped ensure thousands of meals reached families, seniors, and individuals who needed them most.

“The Grubhub Community Fund plays a powerful role in fighting food insecurity,” said Leslie Gordon, President and CEO of Food Bank For NYC. “Their commitment to our mission and continued support of our member agency network is especially visible during Hunger Action Month but felt and appreciated by Food Bank For NYC and our clients every day.”

In addition to hands-on support, the Grubhub Community Fund provided $50,000 matching grants to both organizations — doubling last year’s support in Chicago and powering Food Bank For NYC’s September fundraising campaign. These funds helped strengthen programmatic and operational efforts like community outreach, prepared meals programs, and distribution to local shelters supporting newly arrived migrant families.

“We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support and partnership of Grubhub, particularly in this moment of heightened need,” said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “The generous support from the Grubhub Community Fund is a true reflection of our shared commitment to uplifting local communities and ensuring that no neighbor goes hungry. Together, we are making a difference.”

With the support of the Grubhub Community Fund, we’re proud to stand alongside organizations like Food Bank for NYC and the Greater Chicago Food Depository as they lead the fight against hunger. Together, we’re taking meaningful action – through funding, partnership, and hands-on volunteerism – to help close the hunger gap in the communities we call home.

*The Grubhub Community Fund is a donor-advised fund at a national sponsoring organization. The Fund is funded by diner donations that come through our Donate the Change round-up feature within the Grubhub app and website. Grubhub matches contributions up to $4 million each year on eligible Grubhub+ orders.

Voices of Grubhub: Dave Tovar, SVP of Communications & Government Relations, on Navigating Reputation Challenges, Building a Cohesive Team, and Turning Creativity into Award-Winning Campaigns

To spotlight different perspectives and give an inside look at Grubhub, we’re highlighting leaders from across the organization.

This month we sat down with Dave Tovar, Senior Vice President of Communications and Government Relations, to hear his three principles for effective communication, the importance of transparency in leadership, and how collaboration and adaptability drive his team’s greatest successes.

A quick round to get to know Dave:

  • Favorite Grubhub order: New York-style pizza on Friday nights is a sacred ritual in the Tovar household. Lately, Union Squared has been the go-to, but there’s a weekly debate over which North Shore spot wins out.
  • Coffee or tea: Trick answer—neither. I wake up naturally with an abundance of energy despite getting a short amount of sleep. If I’m going to drink something throughout the day, it’s water and LaCroix.
  • Recent read: Invisible Rulers by Renée DiResta. It’s a powerful exploration of misinformation and how DiResta became the target of the very forces she studies. She literally became the subject of her own research. It’s a fascinating story.
  • Biggest fandoms: As lifelong New Yorker, I rep the Jets, Yankees, Rangers, and Knicks. I’m proud to say that I was able to fully convert my son as well, despite him being born and raised outside of the state.
  • Game day rituals: No superstitions, but we’re those people who love visiting stadiums and proudly fly our NY flags—even in rival cities.
  • First job: I was a newspaper boy in the county I grew up in in New York. I actually grew my route into the most subscribed in the county — with over 200 daily deliveries. My bike was so weighed down at the start of the day! I also worked as a busboy at a restaurant throughout high school, often pulling double shifts.
  • Favorite app: SkyTrak — it’s a golf app that works with a launch monitor to give you all sorts of data and analytics related to your golf swing. None are helping me yet, but I’m still working on it.  
  • Typical weekday: I get up early and work out. While working out, I’ll listen to and watch MSNBC, CNBC, and ESPN radio. After that, I take the train into the city and catch up on any news related to Grubhub or our industry before I get into the office. I love being around people, so I enjoy being in the office and feeding off the energy of the team. Being in the office also helps me compartmentalize my work and personal life. I’m focused on work when I’m in the office and once I’m back at home, I go into dad and husband mode.
  • Typical weekend: My weekends aren’t too different from my weekdays. I still wake up early–just can’t seem to sleep in–and will either go for a long run or bike ride depending on the weather. I also try to golf whenever I can, but with the weather in Chicago, the golf season isn’t as long as I’d like.

You’ve built a career spanning communications across different industries—what drew you to Grubhub and the food delivery space?
It felt like a unique challenge. The pandemic was a huge boom for sales but a bust for reputation. There were lots of negative articles and bad legislation created around the industry. The remit was: help the company figure out what we’re going to do with those reputational challenges, put forward better representation externally, and create a better regulatory environment so we can maintain our license to operate and grow.

When you first joined Grubhub, comms didn’t always have a seat at the table at the exec team level. How did you approach stepping into that kind of environment?
It starts with listening. My father always told me you have two ears and one mouth, and you should use those proportionately—which does not come naturally to me. I did meetings across all functions and levels to learn the business and culture. I also wanted to create stability because there had been a revolving door in roles similar to mine. I knew when I joined that I wanted to be here for a while to create consistency and build something over time.

What was your vision for building and shaping the comms and GR team?
Strategy drives structure, not the other way around. We built strategy first, then decided what resources we needed. When we got to the team, it was about creating one cohesive unit—we didn’t want siloed communications here and government relations there. We had to be singularly focused on our overall objectives and leverage everything together.

Can you break down the different responsibilities of the comms and GR functions and how these focus areas work together?
For comms, we have internal and external communications — external focuses on telling Grubhub’s story through media, paid, earned and owned channels, while internal is all about how we communicate with our employees to keep them informed, engaged, and inspired.

Corporate reputation falls between comms and government relations, focusing on strengthening relationships with opinion leaders — those who vote, influence policy, and shape perceptions — and demonstrating Grubhub’s positive impact on restaurants and drivers. This work also includes our corporate philanthropy and social impact initiatives, alongside paid, earned, and owned media as well.

Lastly, our government relations team focuses on shaping public policy that impacts our industry at the federal, state, and local levels, with most of our engagement and challenges happening at the state and municipal level.

There’s never a shortage of creative ideas for how to break through and reach consumers—how do you and the team decide which ones are worth pursuing?
It’s an iterative process. I like to think of communications and PR as a mix of art and science. There’s data and analytics we can look at, but sometimes you rely on gut instinct and experience. 

You can’t start by asking, “how do we make this go viral?” That’s the wrong approach. Instead, ask: what are we trying to communicate? Who is our audience? Do we think this will resonate with them? Is it culturally relevant and people will want to talk about it?

Some of our best campaigns have been things we’ve been working on for years that didn’t see the light of day for one reason or another. I’ve never seen a truly great idea die because of lack of resources—sometimes the idea just has to bake long enough in the oven before it’s ready to be unveiled to the world.

Is there a project or initiative your team has worked on that you’re most excited about or proud of?
Our Special Delivery campaign. It’s still being talked about and relevant almost a year later. That was probably three years in the making—every time we brought it back up, everybody loved the idea, but it wasn’t the right time.

We discovered that August is when the most babies are born in the U.S., so that became our target time. It was based on insight from moms—they often focus on what meal they want to eat after giving birth, even before thinking about their child’s name or the baby’s room color. After giving up certain foods during pregnancy, things like sushi, deli meats, and alcohol, they really crave getting them back.

It’s been a runaway success and won multiple awards. This campaign has been a crowning achievement for the team and for Grubhub to get that kind of brand recognition, probably for the first time in our history.

Communication plays a big role beyond just external messaging—how does your team support other parts of the business, and what does strong cross-functional partnership look like to you?
I think of our team as strategic communicators. So much of business is done through communication, and we have representation across all functions at Grubhub because we bring an important lens: everything we do, any communication with any stakeholder (internal or external), none of it is private anymore. Everything eventually makes its way onto social media or traditional media.

We have to ask ourselves: how would we feel if that communication ended up on the front page of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal? Would we be proud? Embarrassed? Ashamed? Those are the questions our team can help educate the business on to avoid self-inflicted wounds—decisions that might be good for Grubhub but viewed negatively by restaurant partners, couriers, or regulators. Ideally, we can help business leaders make decisions that are good for Grubhub AND our business partners.

From the JET acquisition and sale to our current integration with Wonder, the business has been evolving rapidly. How do you set a clear vision for your team while also staying flexible enough to continually adapt alongside those changes?
I take a page from political campaigns. You want about 80-90% of your communications to be proactive messages—front-footed communications that test well and are what your constituents want to hear. Then leave 10-20% for reactive messaging based on what’s in the news or what you need to respond to.

If you stray too far and become too reactive, your messaging becomes a series of one-offs. People will ask, “what do they stand for?” We have certain things we want to talk about and drive—those should be the majority. But we leave flexibility for issues that crop up. In one week, we might focus on something from left field, but measured over time, we should drive a consistent percentage of communications on the things we want to be talking about.

What are you most proud of your team for?
The fact that we truly operate as a team. We put company success and team success above our individual performance and accolades. We understand our overall objectives and are willing to roll up our sleeves and do whatever it takes.

The biggest example is finally getting the law changed in New York City to amend the fee cap that’s been in place for four years. From my very first interview at Grubhub, it was clear that was an important business priority. It took us four years—probably the single project I worked longest or hardest on in my career.

Not everybody on the team worked on it as much as others, but everybody knew how important it was and how to support each other. It wasn’t a straight line—there were great achievements like getting the bill introduced and hearings, and not-so-great moments when we knew it wouldn’t get done in one legislative session and we’d have to start over.

Our team rallied behind each other and helped lift each other up through that rollercoaster ride to finally get it done. While the business outcome is amazing in terms of the revenue that this will unlock, how the team performed throughout that four-year campaign makes me most proud.

June is Pride Month, and you’re the executive sponsor of Grubhub’s Pride employee resource group. What drew you to become the executive sponsor, and what have you learned from the experience? What are the most impactful ways leaders can show up as allies?
Throughout my career, I’ve always been involved with ERGs. When I first got to Grubhub, I was the executive sponsor for the working parents ERG. This past year, I took over the Pride Group. At McDonald’s, I sponsored the ERG for African American employees. At Walmart, I was involved in the Pride Group.

It’s important for a couple of reasons. I like to think my learning journey is never over, and I don’t think I know what it’s like to walk in everyone’s shoes. I have my perspective, but I want to hear from others. I also believe leaders need to walk the walk. It’s not enough to just say we have these groups and let them operate on their own. It takes leaders getting involved and rolling up their sleeves to help these groups achieve what they want to achieve.

This month, the Pride Leadership team wanted to take on some really important topics but weren’t sure how they would be received. They came to me as the executive sponsor who also happens to be the head of communications and is tasked with making sure we are always viewed appropriately by all stakeholders, so they came to the right place. We had good dialogue around positioning and talking about it so they feel comfortable advancing an agenda important to them while being received in the way they intended—to help educate and bring people along in their journey.

As for showing up as allies, I’ve learned to become a much more empathetic leader. People go through all sorts of things in life and career—very rarely is anyone’s career a straight line. We don’t know what people are bringing to work every day. If you can show up, make sure people know you’re an ally, and create a space for them to be themselves and share their perspective, they’ll more than meet you halfway and trust you more. That helps the organization work better together and achieve something far greater than if we all show up as individuals who don’t interact authentically.

Being able to communicate well is such an underrated skill and harder than it seems. To you, what makes someone a good communicator? Or if someone is looking to become a better communicator, where should they start?
Three things. First: what are you trying to communicate and why? You’re usually trying to help people understand, feel, or do something. Second: can you do it authentically? People become different when cameras turn on—be natural and credible. Third: practice, practice, practice. It’s a muscle that needs development. I had a coach who said you have to practice delivering your message 10 times beforehand to ensure it lands effectively with your audience. The worst mistake you can make is to shoot from the hip.

You’ve led teams at some of the most recognized brands in the world. How have those experiences shaped your leadership philosophy, and what elements have you carried with you into your role at Grubhub?
I’ve been fortunate to work for some incredible companies with great leaders. I started by emulating what I liked, avoiding what I didn’t, and over time I developed my own leadership style. I’ve always been drawn to transparency, people who are genuine, people who over-communicate and give context so people understand. 

I’ve always believed that knowledge is not power to keep to yourself—knowledge is equity. As a good leader, you can give that away every single day. If you do that for people, it’s only going to make them do their jobs better, be more informed, engaged, and motivated to do the very best work of their careers.

If you could have any other job in the company for a day, what would it be and why?
A lot of people don’t know I was an art major in college. I think about things visually, and there’s something magical about how engineers can sit in a scientific way and write lines of code that are letters, numbers, and symbols that don’t look like much on a screen. But with the click of a button, it turns into something incredibly beautiful in an app or website.

My brain doesn’t work that way, so I’d love to sit down and write some of that beautiful code that turns into the incredible experiences we give our customers every single day.

Grubhub and Seamless Will Deliver Hot Fellas Bakery Bundle to Fans of the Max Hit Show “And Just Like That…”

Grubhub and Seamless are teaming up with Max to bring fans the ultimate stream-and-snack experience with the Hot Fellas Bakery Bundle. This limited-edition bundle comes just in time for the debut of the Hot Fellas Bakery in episode three of the highly anticipated third season of And Just Like That…currently streaming on Max.

Available exclusively for delivery on June 14 and 15 in select areas of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the bundle brings the heat of the show straight to your home.

Straight from the Screen, Hot from the Oven
Inspired by a fan-favorite storyline where beloved And Just Like That… character, Anthony Marentino made his entrepreneurial mark, the limited-edition Hot Fellas Bakery Bundle features a delectable lineup of baked goods to enjoy while watching iconic TV characters heat up summer in the city: 

  • Butter Croissant – Flaky, buttery, and effortlessly chic, this golden classic channels the refined elegance you love from the show.
  • Lemon Ginger Biscuits – Sweet with a zesty twist, these frosted beauties bring a pop of sophistication to your snack game.
  • Rosemary Garlic Sourdough – Bold, savory, and full of character—just like your favorite Hot Fellas—this artisanal loaf delivers depth and flavor in every bite.

And while the Hot Fellas in tight blue suits aren’t included (sorry!), the bundle does come with an exclusive Hot Fellas tote and bread towel—perfect for proofing your dough, or keeping your bread soft and fresh post-bake.

Limited. Luxe. Legendary.
The Hot Fellas Bakery will be open from 9am to 5pm local time, or until sold out. Each day, a limited number of bundles will be available free of charge through Seamless (NYC) and Grubhub (Chicago and LA), so you’ll need to act fast! Whether you’re watching with your friends or just feeding your TV dinner fantasy, this is a one-of-a-kind delivery experience that deserves a spot on your calendar (and your Instagram). Full terms and conditions available here.

Wait, there’s more! For New Yorkers in search of the full experience, Max is also opening a real-life Hot Fellas pop-up bakery in the East Village at 35 Cooper Square. The IRL Hot Fellas pop-up will be open on June 14 from 10am – 6pm EST and June 15 from 9am to 6pm EST. Expect fresh baked goods, exclusive merch, and maybe even a Hot Fella or two IRL–all free and open to the public.

Fans can tune in to And Just Like That… streaming now on Max. 

Voices of Grubhub: Sanjay Uttam, VP of Engineering, on Fast-Paced Tech, Cross-Org Collaboration, and the Power of Curiosity

To showcase different perspectives and give an inside look into Grubhub, we’re spotlighting leaders across the organization. This month, we caught up with Sanjay Uttam, Vice President of Engineering and Head of Marketplace Technology. 

A problem-solver with a deep background in platform transformation, Sanjay shares how he keeps his team adaptable, what’s exciting about the Wonder integration, and why being “stubborn” is a good thing.

A quick round to get to know Sanjay:

  • Favorite Grubhub order: Chicken kebabs from High Mountain Mediterranean or Sushi 35 West near the NYC office.
  • Favorite Podcast: I think it’s been at least five years since I listened to a podcast. I’m more of a quantum physics YouTube at midnight kind of person.
  • Coffee or tea: Coffee. I drink a double espresso every morning. Nothing but water throughout the afternoon though.
  • If not this career, what path would you have pursued: Probably cybersecurity. But if you asked 7-year-old me? Firefighter.
  • Go-to productivity hack: My mornings are dedicated to deep thinking and problem solving. I’m at my sharpest in the mornings, so I like to work on things that require a lot of focus those first few hours. Afternoons are for meetings.
  • Weekday routine: I wake up around the same time every day, drink coffee while watching CNBC, and then head into work or my home office.
  • Weekend routine: Similar start—coffee minus CNBC—but then it’s either a race weekend with my track car or a day of housework and listening to music. I like balance.

You’ve had a deep and varied career in tech leadership across multiple industries—what initially drew you to Grubhub and made you come back?

When I first joined in 2014, the appeal was simple: I was already a loyal Seamless customer. Getting to work on something I was using every day—and that my friends were using constantly—was genuinely exciting.

Coming back years later, it wasn’t just about the work. It was about the people and the culture. I realized that what I was looking for already existed here: a place that values continuous improvement, introspection, and impact. I knew what Grubhub stood for, and I knew the kind of team I’d be joining again. That made the decision easy.

Can you walk us through your role and what your team is responsible for?

I lead Engineering across our consumer and merchant platforms, which includes everything that enables someone to place an order—and everything a merchant needs to fulfill it. That includes core product engineering, platform infrastructure, data science, site reliability, and operations.

It’s a broad scope, but we’re all united by the same goal: delivering a fast, reliable, and meaningful experience to our customers and partners.

You’ve led some major platform transformations and scaled high-impact initiatives—what’s been one of the most rewarding challenges here?

The Amazon Prime partnership stands out. It launched on Prime Day and required full alignment across Grubhub—specifically engineering, product, growth, care—and the same from Amazon’s side. It was one of those projects that had a clear “why,” and everyone showed up to make it happen. The coordination, complexity, and impact made it incredibly rewarding.

As we look to grow in 2025, what are some of the biggest focus areas for your team?

We’re focused on two tracks:

  1. Customer and merchant experience: We’re constantly refining the ordering journey to help users find what they want faster while making sure our merchant partners have reliable, intuitive tools to operate effectively.
  2. Developer experience: We’re creating a faster, more seamless way for engineers to build—introducing tools and workflows that improve delivery speed without compromising on quality.

As the Wonder integration takes shape, are there any efforts you’re particularly excited about that highlight what’s possible working together?

There’s a lot still evolving, but what excites me most is the shift in perspective. Wonder brings a different pace—a more experimental, startup-like energy. It’s challenging us to question how we work and explore how we can move faster while still keeping our standards high.

We’re also learning from each other’s strengths—whether it’s tools, processes, or ways of thinking. That kind of collaboration creates opportunities that are bigger than either company on its own.

From data science to infrastructure, your org is incredibly broad—how do you approach uniting such a wide-ranging team toward common goals?

It starts with alignment. We take the company’s high-level objectives and help each team map their own goals directly to them. I also make sure we’re getting the right people in the room early—especially when multiple teams are working on the same problem.

It might sound basic, but it works: when people understand how their work connects to something bigger, they stay focused, collaborative, and invested in the outcome.

What are you most proud of your team for?

I’m most proud of our ability to meet the moment. Time and time again, we’ve delivered under pressure—solving hard problems, moving quickly, and still hitting our bar for quality. That says a lot about the people here.

I’m also proud of the culture we’ve built. We talk about what didn’t go well. We share mistakes without blame. And we use those lessons to get better as a team.

With 20+ years leading in fast-paced tech environments, what’s a core leadership lesson that’s stuck with you?

Hire people who are curious and humble—people who want to learn from others and aren’t interested in being the smartest person in the room. When you build a team like that, everything else gets easier. The quality of your people drives the quality of your outcomes.

How do you help your teams stay adaptable and forward-thinking, especially with how fast the tech landscape changes?

If you hire the right people, you don’t have to make them adapt. What you do need to do is give them space—time to think, time to experiment, time to fail.

We try things. Not everything works. But some of our best ideas have come from experiments that would’ve seemed too risky if we were only aiming for a 100% success rate. I’d rather swing big and hit 10% of them—that’s how you get real innovation.

What’s something you’ve changed your mind about as a leader over the years?

I’m naturally introverted, and early in my career, I avoided building relationships outside of my core team. Now, I actively invest in those relationships ahead of time. It makes collaboration easier and more productive when something important comes up.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into engineering?

Find something you’re genuinely passionate about. That passion will keep you stubborn—and you need to be stubborn in this field. You’ll stare at code for hours, chasing down a problem most people would walk away from. If you care about what you’re building, you’ll keep going. And that’s what separates good from great.

If you could jump into any other role at Grubhub for a day, what would it be—and why?

Business development. I love figuring out how to create value by connecting different systems—whether they’re technical or organizational. It feels like engineering at a strategic level. I’d just have to put on my extrovert hat for a meeting or two.

Gold Days of Grubhub+ is Officially Back with Exclusive Spring Savings and Delicious Deals

Grubhub is kicking off the season of golden hour hangs, open-air cravings, and warm-weather favorites with the return of Gold Days of Grubhub+ — a four-week celebration packed with limited-time deals, crave-worthy freebies, and fresh spring savings for Grubhub+ members. From May 12 through June 8, enjoy exclusive perks from top spots like Taco Bell®, Wendy’s®, Buffalo Wild Wings, Burger King®, CVS Pharmacy®, Walgreens, and more.*

Throughout the campaign, Grubhub+ members can take advantage of $0 Priority Delivery fees, along with hundreds of rotating offers designed to reward your seasonal cravings. Membership perks also include $0 delivery fees, lower service fees on eligible orders, 5% credit back on pickup, and access to exclusive year-round deals.** Plus, Amazon Prime Grubhub+ members can score $10 off a $20 order during the promo period with code GOLD10.*

Not a member? Now’s the perfect time to join — sign up at Grubhub.com/plus and start saving instantly. For a limited time, new members that sign up for an annual plan can get the first year of Grubhub+ for just $30 — that’s 66% off the standard annual plan. The annual plan auto renews at $90 a year thereafter.**

Ready to dig in? Here’s a peek at what’s on the menu:

Week 1 (May 12-May 18): Spring-tastic Sandwich Savings
Stack your sandwich game with drool-worthy deals:

  • Popeyes®: Free Chicken Sandwich on orders $15+ 
  • Firehouse Subs®: BOGO Select Subs on orders $15+
  • Chili’s: 50% off Big Mouth Burgers on orders $40+ (max $13)
  • Little Caesars®: Free Crazy Combo® on orders $20+
  • Walgreens: 30% off orders $25+ (max $9)

Week 2 (May 19-May 25): Midweek Mood Boosters
From sweet treats to savory indulgences, beat the midweek slump with deals that satisfy every craving.

  • Wendy’s®: Free Medium Frosty Fusion on orders $20+
  • Burger King®: BOGO Double Cheeseburgers on orders $15+
  • Sweetgreen: $5 off orders $25+
  • 7-Eleven: 30% off orders $25+ (max $9)
  • Albertsons: 40% off orders $40+ (up to $25)

Week 3 (May 26-June 1): Memorial Day Munchies
Long weekend lineup = locked. Fuel your BBQs and backyard hangs.

  • Buffalo Wild Wings: BOGO wings (up to $15) on orders $20+
  • SONIC: 25% off orders $20+ (max $6)
  • Arby’s: 20% off orders $25+ (max $7)
  • Dunkin’: 25% off orders $20+ (up to $7)
  • CVS®: 30% off orders $35+ (max $12)

Week 4 (June 2-8): Feasting with Friends
Cue the group chat: it’s time to celebrate National Best Friends Day (June 8) with shareable bites and bestie-approved deals.

  • Taco Bell®: Free 10 pc. Nuggets on orders $20+
  • Shake Shack: Free SmokeShack (up to $15) on orders $25+
  • Pizza Hut®: 20% off orders $30+ (max $7)
  • Starbucks®: $10 off orders $20+
  • KFC: $7 off orders $25+

* Terms and additional fees (including service fees) apply to all offers. For more information on Gold Days of Grubhub+ offer-specific terms, see the applicable merchant menu page on Grubhub.

** Benefits apply on eligible orders that meet the applicable subtotal minimum only. Additional fees (including service fees) may apply. $0 Priority Delivery fees apply when available and selected at checkout. Grubhub+ is an automatically renewing membership service requiring recurring payments at the then-current rate (currently $9.99/mo for monthly plans and $90/yr for annual plans) plus tax until canceled. For more details and terms on Grubhub+, visit grubhub.com/plus. 

Voices of Grubhub: Brian Ryu, VP of Growth, on Empowering Teams and Approaching Risk

To showcase different perspectives and give an inside look into Grubhub, we’re spotlighting leaders across the organization. This month, we caught up with Brian Ryu, VP of Growth.

The Growth team plays a crucial role in Grubhub’s success— driving customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty while managing everything from performance marketing and CRM to pricing strategy, consumer insights, and brand development.

A quick round to get to know Brian: 

  • Favorite Grubhub order: My kids love Chick-fil-A hash browns, so if you look at my order history, that takes the cake. But if I’m ordering for the whole family, we love Kiin Imm Thai.
  • A favorite read: “Ego Free Leadership” by Brandon Black and Shane Hughes. It changed my approach to career management and workplace relationships.
  • Weekend ritual: It’s pretty simple! I have two kids and love being able to spend time outdoors with them riding bikes, exploring parks, and spending quality time with friends.
  • If not this career, then what? Engineering. That’s actually what I studied in undergrad and would love to be able to build things with my hands.
  • Go-to productivity hack: I’m loving Gemini – especially for summarizing meeting notes, catching up on long email threads, and speeding up technical tasks like writing SQL.
  • An average work day: I tend to have a lot of meetings throughout the day which requires me to switch topics a lot. To help stay focused, I set aside quiet time each morning to figure out the top one to three decisions I need to make that day. 
  • An average weekend day: It’s all about family. We do our best to protect that time and our family strives to spend as much of it as we can distraction-free with our kids.

While you’re working in marketing now, your background is in financial services which a lot of folks might not know. Can you tell us about your career progression and how you ended up at Grubhub?

I started at Capital One straight out of college as a business analyst but did more than just the analysis. Something I took away from that job was the importance of having an ownership mentality and thinking through business problems end-to-end. For example, after developing program recommendations, I partnered with people across the organization, including operations, marketing, legal, data science, and more. I also spent time at the call centers listening to customer concerns that were related to the work I was doing. After a few years there, I went to business school and then into consulting at PwC. I jumped around a few different disciplines there that taught me a lot about client relationship management and becoming more comfortable navigating less familiar environments. 

I then went back to Capital One where I shifted over to performance marketing. This move wasn’t necessarily planned, however, I will forever be grateful for the folks that were willing to take a chance with me despite my lack of experience in marketing. I loved the problem sets and have been in a marketing role ever since.

I ended up at Grubhub for the opportunity to work somewhere scrappy and dynamic and with the scope that brought all of my prior experiences together. I was also excited to be in a role that allowed me to be even closer to the end consumer. I felt like it’d be exciting to work on something that you feel every single day. I was already ordering food delivery on my side. And funny enough, I actually started my food delivery journey with Seamless years ago when I lived in New York City. 

Growth covers a lot of ground — could you share more about what falls under that umbrella?

When people think of “Growth,” they might think of marketing first – but our team covers significantly more ground. Under the Growth umbrella, there are three core pillars:

  1. Diner Growth. My team leads this area and is responsible for areas including Upper Funnel Media, Performance Marketing, CRM, Pricing Key Cities Strategy, Acquisition and Retention Analytics.
  2. Loyalty and Marketing. This team drives the business across four primary pillars: (1) our Loyalty program, notably Grubhub+, to attract, convert, and retain our valued customers – including significant partnerships like with Amazon, American Express, Yelp and Lyft; (2) supporting B2B2C – Corporate, Campus, Merchant, and Driver – to nurture, acquire, and retain relationships across all facets of our business; (3) B2C Merchant Marketing; and (4) Diner Product Marketing.
  3. Brand & Creative. Our Brand team is responsible for Brand Insights & Strategy, Brand Execution & Campaigns, as well as Creative Development which includes functions like Design, Copy, and Creative Operations and Production

Is there one project/initiative your team is focused on that you’re particularly excited about?

If I had to pick one, it would be the Seamless relaunch. It has maintained a strong brand in New York with a loyal customer base going back to the fact that it was one of the very first delivery apps, homegrown in New York. I’m excited to bring that sense of innovation and positivity back with newer customers who may not be as familiar with the brand, especially with all of the standout, value-driving campaigns we have for the top-tier restaurants in the NY Metro area.

What does success look like for your function?

At the highest level, it’s driving a step change in order growth, which breaks down into three focus areas:

  1. Acquisition: Effectively using our media channels to deploy compelling messages, brand assets, and value props that showcase compelling reasons for prospects to explore our product and discover great restaurant, grocery, and convenience delivery experiences.
  2. Loyalty: Partnering with our Loyalty team to develop differentiated programs and nurturing strategies to help our valued customers experience the Grubhub+ membership. The goal is to drive stickiness through delivering meaningful everyday value.
  3. Retention: We aim to make it easy for all of our customers—Grubhub+ members or not—to discover great local merchants and find value, so we become their first choice for on-demand delivery. The Growth team drives this through various customer engagement efforts like emails, push notifications, in-app messaging,  promotional partnerships, and loyalty benefits like setting up events where customers can earn credits for repeat orders.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten, and how has it stuck with you as a leader?

Lead through asking questions. When problem-solving or taking on complex challenges, it’s important to start by building a common understanding across teams, and asking questions helps you do that across an organization and builds trust. On a different dimension, it also supports developing talent within your teams. Asking questions rather than immediately prescribing solutions encourages others to think more independently and build grounded recommendations. Most importantly, it drives a sense of ownership and responsibility over their area.

How do you work to help your team stay creative and come up with new ideas—especially in a fast-moving environment?

  1. Even when things are changing rapidly around you, find the elements that remain consistent so you have an anchor to true back to amid change. 
  2. Maintain a consistent problem-solving mindset in a fast-moving environment. When things are constantly changing around you, it can be hard to pivot and change your mind. You almost have to be clinical and disciplined about it to say, okay, the business is moving here. If I want to move with it, what do I need to do even if that means walking away from work I’ve already completed?
  3. Be comfortable with some risk-taking. Don’t be so afraid to be wrong on certain things. Sometimes the greatest ideas come from trying new things, even when it makes you uncomfortable. You might fail five times, but if you find one idea that’s great, it can completely change the course that you’re on. Most decisions are not irreversible.

What’s something you’ve changed your mind about as a leader over the years?

My approach to risk-taking. Earlier on in my career, I would often encourage many of the agile principles like, “fail fast, learn fast.” I do believe I did a reasonable job eliciting that on my team, but I didn’t hold myself to the same bar since I wanted to have a high “win rate.”

This cautious, incremental approach only led to incremental results. It was challenging to find those breakthrough results since I was too afraid to go further. I had the fortune of having a manager push me out of my comfort zone. I started running more initiatives in parallel—making some bigger bets and moving faster to invest in encouraging tactics. I felt uncomfortable, and half the initiatives I tested during this period failed. But through that, there were a couple of breakthrough successes that led the business area to by 2-3x growth.

Final question: If you could have any other job in the company for a day, what would it be and why?

I think it would be interesting to work on the Merchant Network team and be out in the field. I know I would learn so much by being able to be face-to-face with the merchants that we serve.

I’ve been an analyst and in data-driven roles throughout my career but know through repeated experiences that the numbers don’t always tell you the whole story. Directly interacting with the customers you serve, whether it’s the merchants, the diner, drivers, or whoever else it may be, provide the color to reshape your work to directly meet their needs and solve their problems by understanding the real on the ground and how they perceive you.