Vice President, Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores, and CEO, Whole Foods Market
Austin, Texas, United States
58K followers
500+ connections
58K followers
500+ connections
About
Jason Buechel serves as Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores and as Chief Executive Officer at Whole Foods Market.
Jason leads Amazon's global grocery offerings and services, spanning grocery delivery across Amazon and Whole Foods Market. His team ensures the highest standards for selection, freshness, and quality at every stage of the supply chain—from farm and supplier relationships to shelf stocking and doorstep delivery.
Before stepping into his current role in January 2025, he served solely as CEO of Whole Foods Market. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer, providing operational leadership over Whole Foods Market’s 500+ locations across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and overseeing the company’s technology, supply chain and distribution, store real estate and design, and Team Member Services (HR) functions. In his CEO role, Jason serves as a champion of Whole Foods Market’s culture and values and is committed to increasing access to local, quality food for the communities it serves.
Jason joined the company in 2013 as Global Vice President and Chief Information Officer, where he was responsible for all aspects of information technology and digital innovation, as well as ushering in large-scale IT initiatives that played a critical role in the growth of the business. Prior to Whole Foods Market, Jason served as the Managing Director/Partner within Accenture’s Retail Operations Practice, where he worked with leading retailers on strategic business and technology transformation.
Jason has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is an avid runner, hiker and traveler, and enjoys spending time with his family.
Articles by Jason
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Low Prices, Stronger Standards, Bigger Reach: Whole Foods Market and Amazon Working as One
Low Prices, Stronger Standards, Bigger Reach: Whole Foods Market and Amazon Working as One
I recently met with our Store Team Leaders to recognize the incredible progress Whole Foods Market has made and…
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58K followers
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Jason Buechel shared thisNew episode of Beyond the Board just dropped, and this one was special — recorded live in Austin in front of our Whole Foods Market team members. I sat down with Jennifer Liao, co-founder of MìLà Dumplings, and Simu Liu, actor and MìLàs Chief Content Officer, to talk about how they went from packing soup dumplings in Ziploc bags to producing 1.7 million a day without compromising on quality. We got into why dumplings sold in stores haven't really changed in 25 years, how MìLà is working to shift that, and the real advice Jen and Simu would give anyone building something new or trying to get unstuck. Give it a listen: https://lnkd.in/gXVcREEz
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Jason Buechel shared thisLast month, I had the privilege of bringing a group of team members to my home state of Wisconsin for a special In The Field trip. This one was personal. I grew up there, and getting to share a piece of my childhood with our team while connecting with the people and land behind so many of the products on our shelves made it one of the most meaningful trips we have done. Over four days, we explored Wisconsin's legendary food heritage firsthand, encountering everything from farmstead cheese operations and trout farms to prairie restoration sites and a famous craft brewery. Every stop reminded me why this state's food traditions run so deep. I want to thank Rushing Waters Fisheries, Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese LLC, Emmi Roth, New Glarus Brewing Company, the University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, Organic Valley, Fortune Favors, GoMacro and Rishi Tea & Botanicals for taking the time to connect with our team in such a meaningful way. Our group also volunteered at Neighborhood House Community Center, a Whole Foods Market Foundation partner serving Madison families since 1916, which was incredibly rewarding. Another memorable moment was walking the Mad Agriculture Wilding Project, where we learned that just 10% prairie coverage can reduce soil loss by 95%. Growing up in Wisconsin shaped how I think about food, community and the land. Getting to share that with our team was an honor I won't ever forget.
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Jason Buechel shared thisStarting October 1, every Amazon employee in the U.S. will have access to a new Employee Grocery Discount. All U.S. employees will receive 10% off eligible purchases online and 20% off in Whole Foods Market stores, with no cap on savings. This employee benefit doesn't belong to one part of the company — it's available whether you work in a fulfillment center, a distribution center, a Whole Foods Market store, a corporate office, or anywhere else across Amazon. This one is personal for me. �� At Whole Foods Market, our purpose is to nourish people and the planet. That's not a tagline; for more than 45 years it's a belief system that has guided how we think about food and how we take care of our people. What I'm most proud of is watching that philosophy become part of the larger Amazon story and this benefit is proof of that. If there's one thing nearly everyone has in common, it's grocery shopping. It's one of the most frequent household purchases. That's what drives me to bring purpose and impact to my work at Amazon Grocery and Whole Foods Market. I am proud that this discount is one of the ways Amazon is investing in our people. https://lnkd.in/gzJb9DVTAmazon is giving every US employee a discount on groceriesAmazon is giving every US employee a discount on groceries
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Jason Buechel shared thisEvery time I visit our stores, I'm reminded of what makes Whole Foods Market special — our team members. They're the ones who know customers by name, who bring our Quality Standards to life, and who show up for each other every single day. Today, I'm proud to share one of the most significant investments in our team members to date: more than $230 million in higher pay, expanded benefits, and better support for more than 100,000 U.S. Whole Foods Market team members and their families. This is our way of showing up for them the way they show up for our customers and each other, every single day. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gg8A7cfT
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Jason Buechel shared thisOne of the things we've heard loud and clear from customers is that grocery shopping can feel like a lot. Not just the cost, but the time, the effort, the mental energy of figuring out what's for dinner every night and keeping the fridge stocked week after week. We wanted to show customers that Amazon can help with all of that — not just saving money but saving you in every way. So, we built a campaign around that idea: "Spend Less on Your Groceries" because the value, selection, and convenience you already expect from Amazon now applies to your groceries. We've teamed up with Kathryn Hahn, a busy parent who understands juggling a lot at once, and she talks about saving time and money in a way that resonates. It's not just about saving dollars — it's about complete convenience. She delivers that message in a way that's entertaining and memorable.
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Jason Buechel shared thisA cherry gets photographed 60 times. An avocado meets a penetrometer. A banana spends time in a ripening room. This is what happens before your grocery order ever hits a screen. None of it works without the people standing in fields, spinning cherries between their fingers, rejecting boxes that don't make the cut. Just meeting the standard is kind of like a passing grade. We're looking for the best of the best. Today, fresh groceries make up six of the top 20 best sellers on Amazon.com. That doesn't happen by accident. I'm really proud of the team making this work every day. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gSNwuHadInside the grocery operation Amazon built to be pickier than youInside the grocery operation Amazon built to be pickier than you
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Jason Buechel shared this"What does it take to get on the shelf?" I get asked this question constantly. The answer is always the same: it has to taste better than what's already there, and it has to offer something that doesn't yet exist. Fond Regenerative checks both boxes. On the latest episode of Beyond the Board, I sat down with Alysa Seeland, founder and CEO of FOND Bone Broth, to talk about her journey of how she landed regenerative organic certified chicken and beef bone broth on the shelves of Whole Foods Market. She has built something innovative, and that's exactly what earns a place on our shelves. I've seen what that commitment looks like on the ground. Alysa has grown from supporting 17 regenerative farmers to 581. She's processed over a million pounds of regenerative organic chicken bones through our stores. A warehouse fire in the middle of her Series A forced her to learn financial discipline early. She did not let it end the business. Instead, it became the reason the business is built to last. That kind of rigor is how trust gets built. One product, one farmer, one jar at a time. Episode available now: https://lnkd.in/gwZuycQA
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Jason Buechel shared thisThis past Sunday, Corrie retired after an extraordinary four-decade career with Whole Foods Market. Corrie started in 1983 at the Northridge Mrs. Gooch's. Over the years, she held leadership roles across multiple locations before landing at Porter Ranch in California, where she became a cornerstone of the community. Her impact? Immeasurable. Corrie hired, mentored, and developed countless Team Members, always holding herself and others to the highest standards. She's known for her warmth, her humor, her genuine care for every person she meets. The kind of Team Member who makes everyone around her better. Here's what stands out most: after 43 years of growth and change, Corrie still felt the same culture and spirit at Whole Foods Market that drew her in from day one. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of people like Corrie. It's no surprise that someone who brought this much passion to her career plans to carry that same energy forward fulfilling a dream of traveling across the country and learning to play drums with friends. I have no doubt this next chapter will be every bit as remarkable as the last. Congratulations on a well-earned retirement.
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Jason Buechel shared thisRight now, farmers and producers are absorbing more risk than ever. Unpredictable weather, rising costs, supply chain disruptions. We're at an inflection point where standard practices alone won't meet the food security challenges ahead. Last week we released the Whole Foods Market Impact Report. We believe it's our responsibility to stand behind the people who make what we do possible. This report is proof of that commitment. Not words on a page, but dollars deployed and outcomes earned. Here's what 2025 looked like: Deepened investments in climate-smart agriculture. Funding alternative manure management with our dairy suppliers, supporting regenerative farming across our supply chain, and helping restore critical ecosystems from Midwest prairies to Gulf Coast oyster reefs. Launched our first Regenerative Organic Certified Sourced for Good coffee. Continued pushing the boundaries of responsible retailing. Reducing single-use plastic and keeping more food waste than ever out of landfills. Invested in our people. Nearly 12,500 leaders completed development programs, apprenticeship enrollment grew 300%, and our Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program donated more than 270,000 pounds of food in a single day. Every acre transitioned to regenerative practices, every supplier we support, every team member we develop. It compounds. Agriculture can be part of the climate solution, not just a casualty of it. That's the opportunity in front of us, and it's one we refuse to waste. We've got more work ahead, but the direction is clear and the momentum is real.Jason Buechel shared thisI'm a huge fan of the next generation. I see their engagement, curiosity, and resilience and know they are interested in doing things differently and better. But I also know they can't do it alone and that the world around them is changing rapidly. One big example is the next generation of farmers. The vast majority are focused on conservation or regenerative farming (in a recent survey, nearly 90% of young farmers said it's one of their farm's primary purposes). That's amazing! But at the same time, the actual number of farmers is dwindling. There are fewer than 2 million left in the United States - and that population is aging. Meantime, incoming farmers face rising operational costs, land access barriers, and compounding environmental disruptions. The sustainability of our food system depends on next-gen farmers, and we need to support them. That's why Whole Foods Market and the National Young Farmers Coalition have launched the Next Generation Farmer Fund. This fantastic new initiative provides direct financial support and technical assistance to farmers under 40 who are actively adopting climate-smart, sustainable farming practices. It's an investment in people, the environment, and the food we put on our own plates every night. You can learn more about how it works here: www.wholefoods.com/impact Amazon The Climate Pledge
Jason Buechel commented on a post
2w
Congrats on 35 years! We are so grateful for your leadership!
Jason Buechel commented on a post
4w
Thank you Brian Sozzi for having me on your podcast. I enjoyed sharing how Amazon is growing in grocery to offer value, convenience, and selection to more customers online and at Whole Foods Market stores. I always enjoy talking about new trends and love that you're still a fan of our 12 for $12 oyster Prime Member deal every Friday at Whole Foods Market!
Jason Buechel commented on a post
2mo
Congratulations Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, Madhavi Reese and the entire team who worked on this outstanding collection. Love seeing customers with Fishwife in their cart and now on their tote bag too!
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Jason Buechel reacted on thisJason Buechel reacted on thisMy 35-year love affair with Whole Foods Market. ❤️ Sometimes I say that number out loud, and I honestly can’t believe it. I was just 18 years old when I walked through the doors of Harry’s Farmers Market. I was young and had no idea what life had in store for me. I certainly never imagined that the job I started back then would become my career, my passion, my purpose—and such a huge part of my life. I never imagined that I would find people who would become lifelong friends. People who would stand beside me through some of the best moments of my life and some of the hardest. People who would become more than coworkers. They became family. Then, in 2001, Whole Foods Market acquired my beloved Harry’s Farmers Market. I remember wondering what the future would look like. What I found was something I never knew I had been searching for. I found a company that allowed me to be me. A place where I could lead with my heart. Lead with purpose. Lead with love. A place that believed people mattered. A place that challenged me to become the very best version of myself. Whole Foods Market didn’t just give me a career. It changed my life. It changed the lives of my family. It opened doors I never knew were possible. It helped me grow from that 18-year-old girl who was simply starting a job into the woman and leader I am today. Whole Foods brought out the best in me—and because people believed in me, encouraged me, challenged me, and sometimes pushed me when I needed it most, I was able to help bring out the best in others. And together… we did something incredible. We changed the way America eats and thinks about food. We believed in doing the right thing. We believed in caring about our communities. We believed that business could be about more than business. And through all of these years, through every change, every challenge, every celebration, every laugh, every tear, and every person who has crossed my path, Whole Foods Market has remained such a huge part of my heart. Thirty-five years later, I can honestly say that I cannot imagine my life without Whole Foods in it. I am forever grateful for every Team Member who has walked beside me. Every person who taught me something. Every person who believed in me. Every person who challenged me. Every person who trusted me enough to let me lead them. Because the truth is… You don’t spend 35 years somewhere and simply leave with memories. You leave with pieces of people in your heart. And after 35 years, Whole Foods Market is not just where I work. It is part of who I am. It has been woven into my life, my family, my friendships, my purpose, and my story. I am forever grateful. I am forever proud. And no matter where life takes me, there will always be a piece of my heart that belongs to the place—and the people—that helped shape me into who I am today. 35 years. One incredible journey. A lifetime of memories. I am Whole Foods. Cheers to 35 years! Whole Foods Market #teamwfm
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