Meet Our
Executive Team Members
Mike Molinar
CEO/President
Mike began his career at PAQ, Inc., as our CFO in August 2020. Through his hard work and dedication, he was promoted to President in July of 2022.
He started his retail career as a grocery bagger during high school, and over the past forty years he went from an entry-level position to various senior roles. His past roles include Staff Accountant, Accounting Manager, Accounting Director, Director of Financial Planning and Controller.
In his current position as President, Mike leads all aspects of the company including Marketing, Human Resources, Operations, Information Technology and Finance.
Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Arizona State University and an MBA in Finance from Western International University.
Chris Podesto
V/P & General Manager
Chris brings over 35 years of retail marketing experience to PAQ, Inc. and has been instrumental in leading the company to consistent positive growth every year.
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Italo and father Gary, Chris began his career in retail grocery at the age of 14 as a courtesy clerk.
By the age of 16, Chris moved on to work as a utility clerk and continued to learn the industry from the ground up and quickly became a store director. He now serves as the VP/General Manager. He has spent his whole career at PAQ Inc.
Chris attended Boise State and the University of Pacific. He majored in Business and Communications.
Kimberly Phibbs
V/P Human Resources
Kim joined the PAQ, Inc. team in September of 2020. In just three short years, she was promoted to V/P of Human Resources.
With over three decades of experience in HR, Kim has held various roles including HR Director, HR Manager, and HR Analyst. Her tenure at esteemed companies like General Mills and C&S Wholesale Grocers speaks volumes about her expertise and capability in navigating diverse organizational environments.
Kim's proficiency extends beyond mere job titles. Her extensive training in employee and union relations, coupled with her expertise in training and leadership development, positions her as a well-rounded HR professional capable of handling multifaceted challenges within the workforce.
Kim has an Associate's Degree from San Joaquin Delta College and a Bachelor of Science in HR Management from Capella University.
Brad Clark
V/P of Operations
Brad started his career in 1984 at our very first Food 4 Less store located on March Lane in Stockton.
His first position at F4L was a cashier and over the next 40 years, he worked his way up to V/P of Operations. He held numerous positions ranging from Assistant Store Manager to Store Director to District Manager.
He was promoted to V/P of Operations in 2019. Brad oversees all store operations which include transportation, warehouse, maintenance, loss prevention, front end systems and new store construction.
Chris White
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Chris is the newest member of our team and boasts over two decades of experience in Technology and Financial Leadership, spanning organizations of varying sizes.
During his sixteen-year tenure at Safeway, Chris gained valuable grocer experience. He served as the Vice-President Information Technology, IT Chief Financial Officer. Most recently, he served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for SBM Management Services in Sacramento. In this role, he played a pivotal part in shaping the company's future by creating a strategic technology Roadmap. This roadmap facilitated crucial advancements in areas like cybersecurity, business intelligence reporting and analytics and migration from on-premise to cloud-based computing environments.
Chris oversees our Technology team and supports PAQ, INC. through the rapid changes that our industry faces. Chris graduated from St. Mary's College of California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics. He also has MBA in Finance from St. Mary's.
Where it Started
1995
PAQ, Inc. acquires two (2) Food 4 Less stores - Stockton, (March Lane & Wilson Way) and one in Lodi, California.
1998
Food 4 Less opens its 3rd Stockton location (Weston Ranch)
1999
PAQ, Inc. opens the Hammer Lane Food 4 Less location in North Stockton bringing the total Food 4 Less stores in Stockton to four (4)
2000
Food 4 Less opens in Manteca, California
2002
Food 4 Less opens in Los Banos, California
2003
Food 4 Less opens in Salinas, California
2004
PAQ, Inc. introduces and opens their newest concept, Rancho San Miguel Market, to the Stockton area. Our Lodi location opens a few months later.
2005
Food 4 Less opens in Ceres, California
2006
PAQ, Inc. acquires the Souza Group Food 4 Less stores in Paso Robles, Atascadero and San Luis Obispo, becoming the leading grocery store in the Independent Warehouse Grocers Association of Northern California (IWGANC) with a total of 14 stores months later.
2007
Rancho San Miguel Market opens in Merced, California
2008
Rancho San Miguel Market opens in Madera, California
2012
Rancho San Miguel Market opens in Greenfield, California
2017
Food 4 Less opens in Arroyo Grande, California
2018
PAQ, Inc. expands footprint into Sacramento with the opening of our Food 4 Less Mack Road
2019
PAQ, Inc. becomes a 100% Employee Owned Company
2020
PAQ, Inc. opens a Food 4 Less store in Rio Linda & Rancho Cordova, California
2022
Rancho San Miguel Market opens in Sacramento, California
February 2023
PAQ, Inc. opens a new warehouse in Lathrop, CA
2023
PAQ, Inc. Retail Support Centers (Lathrop & Stockton) move to Lodi, CA. The new address is 3021 Reynolds Ranch Parkway, Suite 230-Lodi, CA 95240
2024
Food 4 Less opens in Fairfield, California