{"id":617,"date":"2012-10-19T09:41:54","date_gmt":"2012-10-19T17:41:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/business\/?p=617"},"modified":"2012-10-19T09:41:54","modified_gmt":"2012-10-19T17:41:54","slug":"panda-express-co-ceo-discusses-how-to-create-a-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/business\/2012\/10\/19\/panda-express-co-ceo-discusses-how-to-create-a-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Panda Express co-CEO discusses how to create a culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Peggy<\/a>
Peggy Cherng speaking at the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Panda Express co-CEO and Oregon State alumna Peggy Cherng let the crowd at the Oregon State College of Business Dean\u2019s Distinguished Lecture in on a little secret Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI happen to be good in math, good in engineering, but I don\u2019t really know how to cook,\u201d Cherng said.<\/p>\n

Cherng discussed how the Panda Restaurant group, which operates the popular Panda Express chain, focuses on creating an atmosphere where associates can grow and better serve guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t call them employees but associates, because they\u2019re our partners,\u201d Cherng explained. \u201cWe want to build an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panda focuses on fostering a culture that creates happy associates, which becomes happy guests.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe judges out there are you, and we will work very hard to be loved by you,\u201d Cherng said. \u201cBut first we have to work on ourselves and love ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chain has more than 1,500 locations, opening 100 new stores this past year. With such a wide network, the company encourages decentralized learning, where associates take initiative to learn on their own with resources from Panda.<\/p>\n

\"Peggy<\/a>
Peggy Cherng speaking at the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After her talk, Cherng sat down for a question and answer session with OSU associate professor of management Pauline Schilpzand and then took questions from the audience.<\/p>\n

Schilpzand\u00a0asked why those of us in Oregon haven\u2019t seen many Panda Express television commercials.<\/p>\n

Cherng explained Oregon is still an emerging market for Panda, and the company focuses larger ad buys in their core markets, such as California.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do do advertising in the core market because we can leverage the cost more effectively,\u201d she said. \u201cBut in the emerging market the cost prohibits TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schilpzand also asked Cherng about what she\u2019s used from her academic background in her career. <\/strong>Cherng earned a B.S. in applied mathematics from\u00a0OSU and an M.S. in Computer Science and doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the\u00a0University of Missouri.<\/p>\n

Cherng mentioned that while she never learned much about food herself \u2014 husband Andrew Cherng started the original Panda Inn with his father and now serves as co-CEO with his wife \u2014 she has a passion for systems, honed by her training as an engineer.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou first have to find out your passion,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you have passion you\u2019re really able to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stressed that passion is a key for all entrepreneurs, no matter what industry one may be entering.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you just want to make money, if a hard time comes you\u2019re not able to pull yourself up,\u201d Cherng said. \u201cBut if you have passion you can overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Panda Express co-CEO and Oregon State alumna Peggy Cherng let the crowd at the Oregon State College of Business Dean\u2019s Distinguished Lecture in on a little secret Wednesday. \u201cI happen to be good in math, good in engineering, but I don\u2019t really know how to cook,\u201d Cherng said. Cherng discussed how the Panda Restaurant group, … <\/p>\n

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