HR Leaders How to Protect Culture During Rapid Growth (Most Companies Fail Here)
Sep 10, 2025
Jon Caldwell, SVP & Chief People Officer at Valvoline Inc., discusses leading people strategy during rapid growth. He reveals how Valvoline has doubled its footprint while preserving its strong family culture. With 95% of managers coming from technician backgrounds, Jon emphasizes the importance of internal growth. He also highlights the significance of scalable HR processes and engaging traditions like the 'Oil Olympics' in boosting team spirit. Together, these elements create a data-driven culture that fuels both business expansion and employee success.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Pure-Play Retail Transformation
- Valvoline transformed into a pure-play, high-growth retail business after selling its products division in 2023.
- The company doubled stores in nine years and plans to grow to ~3,500 stores by 2030.
Family Culture Built By Pit-Crew Teams
- Valvoline calls its culture 'family' because store teams rely on each other like a racing pit crew.
- Jon highlights that 95% of managers started as technicians, proving the grow-from-within model.
Standardize With Intensive Training
- Provide consistent, intense training to standardize execution across locations.
- Valvoline gives technicians 150 hours of training to ensure consistent service delivery.
