ROOTS MVP OF THE MONTH
He's worn many hats in his five years at Roots and this month Jarar Kazmi has added yet another as he plays an increasingly vital role at the company.
April 2006

Ever since he joined Roots in 2001, Jarar Kazmi has covered a lot of ground, both in the field and at the head office. This month, in the latest move in his upward trajectory at Roots, Jarar was appointed Director of Purchasing and Flow. It reflects his keen abilities, hard work, and unyielding commitment to the success of Roots.

If Jarar has held many positions at Roots, it's not for a lack of focus or stability on his part. On the contrary. It's simply that no sooner does he quickly prove himself in one position that he's invariably asked by Roots Co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green to take on a new, more senior role at Roots with greater responsibility.

Next month, it will be exactly five years since Jarar started working at Roots following a stint at Banana Republic. In May 2001, he was hired to be the Assistant Manager of the Roots store in Toronto's Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Within nine months, he was appointed Manager of the store. He performed so well that less than a year later, he was promoted to General Manager of the Roots flagship store on Toronto's Bloor St.  Jarar was responsible for the store for two years before tackling his next major assignment. Last June, he moved to the head office to become Senior Manager, Retail Planning and Development and became a key player on the senior team at Roots.

In his new position, Jarar is responsible for overseeing all buying and stock control of products for company stores in such a way that healthy profitability is maintained through sound price management. His job also includes managing a team of product managers, planners and merchandise flow analysts. At the same time, Jarar continues to oversee all Roots stores in the United States.

Soft-spoken, even-keeled, and personable, Jarar has an incredible capacity for details, whether they relate to sales figures, inventory control or product knowledge. He has a passion for the business, from retail operations to the making and designing of products. His dedication to his work and those around him is second to none. He puts in long hours and rarely seems to get flustered in his work.

"Jarar is the prototype of the new Roots management," says Michael Budman. "He has a tremendous work ethic and can multi-task with the best of them. He came up through the ranks of retail management. He still very much loves the retail environment and wants to satisfy the customer. But that's not all. Jarar uses his common sense in the best possible way. While he believes in and is very respectful of the culture of Roots, he has his own point of view and sticks to it. He's not wishy-washy. And, on top of all that, he's a great guy."

Jarar is nothing if not motivated in his work at Roots. "One of the things I find most gratifying at Roots is being able to make decisions on a weekly basis that produce sound financial results for the company," says Jarar, 31. "Working in close consultation with Michael and Don makes making those decisions so much easier. I appreciate their confidence in my abilities to manage major aspects of their business."

Originally from Pakistan, Jarar moved to Canada with his family when he was 16. Today, he lives just north of Toronto in Richmond Hill.

Jarar has enjoyed making the transition from working every day on the frontlines of the business in the stores to his current reality, which entails being at the headquarters and more behind the scenes. "I love working in the head office," says Jarar. "It's like working on an engine of a sports car after being behind the wheel." - R.S

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