Benita Thompson-Byas is vice-chair and senior vice president of Joint Ventures and Business Development for Thompson Hospitality, the nation’s largest minority-owned food service company. In this role, she is responsible for contracted food and facilities management accounts operated jointly between Compass Group and Thompson Hospitality across all business sectors. Under her direct leadership, this division has grown from approximately 90 accounts with a managed volume of $800 million, to more than 250 accounts with a managed volume exceeding $2.3 billion. Additionally, she oversees the areas of diverse supplier utilization, operational accountability, and community outreach and engagement.
Benita is an alumna of the University of Virginia, with a B.A. in English and a minor in sociology. She resides in Great Falls, Va., with her husband, Jeff, and they are the proud parents of two college students.
She took some time to answer some questions for rolling out.
As a Black woman, what do you consider your superpower(s) to be?
Contentment, faith and fortitude. Contentment, meaning to remain focused no matter your surroundings. Faith, trusting that things will work out for the best, even when you cannot see how. Fortitude, keeping 10-toes down always (smile). Giving up is never an option.
What thoughtful or encouraging piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Work hard to get comfortable in your own skin. Understand how uniquely made you are. Your value comes from whose you are, not who you are. Make mistakes, forgive yourself quickly and rest assured that you are here for a purpose that no one else can fulfill. You were created with all you need inside to be your very best version of yourself.
If you could thank any Black woman for her contributions to history and society, who would it be and why?
There are many “famous” Black women who have made huge contributions to history and society, from Harriet Tubman to Simone Biles. While all these ladies are wonderful, the Black woman who was most influential in my life who I would thank is my grandmother, Hattie Mae King Warren. My grandmother was born in 1905 and passed away in 1995. With only a 7th-grade education, she went on to become a licensed nurse practitioner and midwife, delivering over 1,500 babies in our hometown in Virginia and surrounding counties. My grandmother was a woman of faith, a wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend, an entrepreneur and a community leader. She taught me so many lessons:
The value of prayer was chief among those, followed by the importance of hard work, home ownership, and importance of helping others.
As a successful woman in business, what is your greatest or proudest achievement?
My most prized role is as the mother of a summa cum laude college graduate and a rising college sophomore, so I’d have to say my daughter and son. And while they are not an “accomplishment” per se, I am very proud of the happy, well-adjusted, people that they have become, and continue to grow into. I’m grateful that they understand the significance of and are committed to helping others … and I like to think that I had a hand in that.
Professionally, my greatest accomplishment is that I continue to create a healthy and fair work environment for my team. People often say that you have to separate work and personal life. I believe that if I don’t have a glimpse/ a small insight into the personal lives of my team, then I can’t fully understand or appreciate what they bring to the group.
