Juan Nuñez
President Florida Region, Whole Foods
Juan Nuñez has been with Whole Foods for 33 years. That his passion for the company has remained as enthusiastic as it was on his first day is as impressive as the growth he has spurred in his region. “We are doing good in the world by protecting the environment, supporting sustainable practices, creating a great place for team members, and giving back to our communities through our foundations,” Nuñez says.
Nuñez’s entire career has been in the natural and organic food arena. He was born in the Pacific coast village of Tocopilla, Chile, and moved to Minnesota with his family as a preschooler. After attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he moved to Los Angeles in 1982, where he began working as a store clerk for Mrs. Gooch, a local, organic supermarket. He climbed the ladder within Mrs. Gooch and was working as the regional operations director when it was acquired by Whole Foods Market in 1993.
As president of Whole Foods Market’s Florida region, Nuñez manages one of the nation’s most dense marketplaces. In the first half of 2015 alone, five new stores—in Sarasota, Winter Park, Altamote Springs, Jacksonville, and Destin—were unveiled, four of them opening within seven weeks of each other. The latest plan for Whole Foods is to open a more affordable sister store, 365.
Nuñez is also involved with the Whole Planet Foundation, a provider of micro loans to mothers in 61 countries worldwide. The loans enable entrepreneurial opportunities to families, providing food, shelter, and education. Nuñez himself volunteered in Kenya.
