Roxanne Orsak has worked in various sectors of the company since joining in 1988. She’ll take the reins in January 2026.
SAN ANTONIO — Thirty-seven years after joining the H-E-B family as a trainee, Chief Operating Officer Roxanne Orsak will take the helm as president of the Texas grocery giant in January 2026—making her the first woman to be appointed to the position.
H-E-B, headquartered in San Antonio and boasting more than 450 stores in Texas and Mexico, said in a Tuesday press release that Orsak will succeed Craig Boyan, who plans to remain as an advisor while sitting on the company’s Board Oversight and Advisory Committee.
H-E-B CEO Howard Butt III said in the release that Orsak was “the natural choice” to take the reins of the Texas institution, touting her “deep understanding of our business, which she honed from a broad range of leadership roles at H-E-B during her 37-year tenure.”
A graduate of Texas A&M who went on to study at Harvard Business School and the University of Southern California, Orsak has served in a variety of positions and administrative levels – including store operations, merchandising, format design and procurement – while helping to launch different H-E-B store formats.
“We are committed to showing up for each other and working hard so we can run a business that improves the lives of our partners, customers and communities,” she’s quoted as saying in the release. “I am honored to continue to shape the future of this great company with integrity, heart, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Boyan has served as president for the last 15 years, a span of time that’s seen H-E-B grow its annual sales from $10 billion to $50 billion while overseeing a labor force of more than 175,000 employees. Forbes placed it in the top spot of its 2025 Best Brands for Social Impact survey and Newsweek ranked H-E-B fourth on its most recent survey of the country’s most trustworthy grocery companies.
While expanding into more North Texas communities, the chain has also continued to foster a reputation as a community leader: In recent months it’s provided major support to the flood-ravaged Texas Hill Country and set up mobile kitchens to feed Uvalde children after a ransomware incident this month.