District Sales Leader at Frito-Lay
Frito-Lay recruits transitioning Army captain to lead sales district.
by Warren Duffie

Robert Kotecki has a tasty sales job. While a sales career is an exciting, ever-changing vocation, some products are easier to get jazzed about than others. And, almost everyone loves snack food. Working for Frito-Lay, Kotecki keeps hungry customers well-stocked with FRITOS®, LAY’S®, DORITOS®, CHEETOS® and TOSTITOS® products.

On the Job
The former Army captain is a district sales leader in Frito-Lay’s Milwaukee zone. He leads a team of 12 people and is responsible for the sales volume and expense accountability of Frito-Lay’s sales in Milwaukee. Kotecki’s job involves overseeing the day-to-day sales, sales operations, logistics, inventory, scheduling training and customer service of 10 sales routes, covering large and small retailers throughout Milwaukee. Kotecki also ensures that his team increases sales volume and executes promotions, delivers snacks to retailers on time and in the right quantities, and displays the snacks in-store to reach shoppers most effectively.

Kotecki, 29, starts his workday at around 0600. Most days – unless he has meetings in the office or one-on-one meetings with team members – he spends his time visiting clients, which can involve riding in a large delivery truck with one of his salespeople or talking with store managers and other key decision-makers. He goes home around 1800.

“The two greatest skills the Army instilled in me are organization and planning,” he said. “Both of these skills save me countless hours each and every week – valuable time that allows me to be more proactive on the job, instead of reacting to problems and ‘putting out fires.’”

“Managing people is both the most challenging and rewarding aspect of my job,” he continued. “Certain individuals and situations require more attention than others. Like they always said in the Army, 10 percent of your people will take up 90 percent of your time. Yet it’s always rewarding to see my people flourish and succeed.” 

The Company
Frito-Lay North America is the $12 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, N.Y. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Frito-Lay has 48,000 employees.

The company’s roots are the culmination of two entrepreneurs’ dreams. In 1932 C.E. Doolin entered a small San Antonio cafe and purchased a bag of corn chips. He learned that the manufacturer of the chips was eager to sell his small business, so he purchased the recipe and began to sell FRITOS® corn chips from his Model T Ford. Meanwhile, that same year Herman W. Lay began his potato chip business in Nashville by delivering snack foods. Not long afterward, Mr. Lay purchased the manufacturer, and the H.W. Lay & Company was formed. In 1961 the Frito Company and the H.W. Lay Company merged to become Frito-Lay, Inc. Today, Frito-Lay brands account for 59 percent of the U.S. snack chip industry.

Frito-Lay is constantly seeking proven talent. Career opportunities range from corporate and sales jobs to manufacturing and operations positions such as packers and warehousers. The company also hires full- and part-time over-the-road drivers.

Frito-Lay actively recruits veterans online and through veterans job fairs. It also works with disabled veterans outreach programs as part of its recruitment efforts.

In Uniform
Kotecki was in his senior year of college when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred. Though he was in the process of applying to law school, Kotecki was overcome by a surge of patriotism. When he graduated in May 2002, he entered Army Officer Candidate School.

Subsequent training included Airborne school, combatives school, air assault school, infantry officer basic course, and Ranger school. During his military career, Kotecki served in Georgia, Texas, southwest Asia, Iraq, Kentucky and Oklahoma. 

The Transition
Kotecki left the Army in 2008. After six years of active duty, he wanted to settle down and start a family. In addition to taking transition classes, Kotecki worked with a professional search firm. The firm matched his résumé, skills, and experience with employers located in the geographical area where he wanted to live and work.

“Frito-Lay contacted me about the district sales leader position,” he said. “What appealed to me most was the independence and flexibility of the position, along with the reputation of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo.”

After several telephone and in-person interviews, Kotecki landed the job: “My first day, I arrived at Frito-Lay’s distribution center in Milwaukee, filled out all the required HR paperwork, toured the facilities and met everyone in the office. Then I shadowed another district sales leader who was running a sales route. I wouldn’t say I was nervous. As with all new things you’re always a little anxious, along with being excited.”

Kotecki's Advice
Keep in mind that civilian market for jobs is very, very competitive.

Before you transition out of the military, ensure that you have either a job waiting for you or prospective jobs lined up.

Be patient. The civilian lifestyle is quite different from the military and takes some getting used to, whether you've been in the military a couple of year or for your entire career.