Our “5 Questions With” blog segment gives you the inside scoop on the inner workings of Edible Arrangements® by bringing you an exclusive look at the work lives of some EA corporate employees. This week, we sat down with Project Manager, Jared Lombardo, to find out more about the diverse roles he plays on a daily basis.
1. What are you working on right now?
I’ve been leading a variety of short and long -term projects to meet critical business objectives set forth for 2013 and beyond. Some of my most notable work includes spearheading for a new Product Category Launch, Dipped Fruit Category sales growth, product packaging and branding, as well as other franchisee and end consumer-facing initiatives.
2. What is the absolute best part of your job?
The best part of my job is the cross-functional nature of being a Project Manager. With most of the projects that I’m leading, I get to work with a lot of different people within the corporate office, across numerous departments. I have always thrived in a “team” atmosphere and to constantly work with my peers for the greater good is powerful and inspiring!
With the future looking so bright for Edible Arrangements®, so many exciting projects have come my way that will make an amazing impact on our Franchise partners, as well as all our current and future guests. I feel so fortunate to be in a role with such terrific exposure!
3. What’s your favorite kind of chocolate dipped fruit?
This is a tough one! When I joined Edible Arrangements®, I received an outstanding number of “Welcome” emails from people around the company – in one particular email, the author said something like: “everything is better when it’s dipped in chocolate.” And you know what… they were right!
Every piece of our chocolate dipped fruit is so delicious, but if I were to have to choose one favorite, I would definitely go with the Chocolate Indulgence™ Apples. I’m a big chocolate fan, and the Granny Smith Apples we use are so fresh that they’re hard to beat.
4. Tell us something you’ve learned while working at Edible Arrangements®.
Edible Arrangements® is the first franchise organization I have worked for in my career, and something I learned very quickly after starting here is just how much of a partnership it really is between the corporate office and our store locations.
It’s really exciting knowing that the work we do at the corporate level can have a profound effect on someone’s business. I have a real sense of pride in anything I deliver that is Franchisee facing, because not only is it critical to our end consumers, but also to our partners in the field trying to run a successful business.
5. What WOWs you?
We really have an amazing staff here. I’m WOWed every day by the work ethic of those that work around me, and more importantly, the perseverance when things don’t go quite right. The history of this great company is an inspiring one, and I believe that same entrepreneurial spirit that this company is built on lives on in all the work we do here to this day.
Want to work with Jared at the Edible Arrangements International corporate headquarters in Wallingford, CT? Apply online at: https://www.ediblearrangements.com/about/Careers.aspx
