Women of Influence: Meet Tina Morascyzk, Giant Eagle

Tina Morascyzk recalls riding a shopping trolley as a child while her mother purchased groceries at Giant Eagle.

Morascyzk is the senior vice-president of real estate and building for Giant Eagle Inc.

Morascyzk didn't simply follow a straight line from growing up as a child in Pittsburgh, where her father owned his own heating and cooling contracting company to becoming the head of real estate for a regional grocery chain with nearly 500 stores and a sales volume of $11.5 billion last year.

Morascyzk was responsible for the expansion of Aldi in the area before joining Giant Eagle five years ago. She helped Aldi expand its discount grocery store network in the region for more than 10 years.

Morascyzk is grateful for her time with Aldi. She began by working in store operations, and then the company expanded dramatically. There are currently around 40 stores here.

Morascyzk said, 'I had a big part in changing the competitive landscape of local groceries'. He added, "I suppose you could say that was what caught Giant Eagle's attention."

It may not have been the most natural move to go from Aldi operations to Aldi real estate. She remembered when the company offered her the job.

You want me to be your real estate director? She remembered what she thought when she assumed the role of real estate director for Aldi, in 2007. I was counting cans yesterday.

She is grateful that Aldi "really allowed me to cut my real estate tooth on their dime."

Her training has been instrumental in helping her succeed at Giant Eagle. She first joined Giant Eagle as vice president of strategy for development, drawing from her operational experience. Then, she moved into a leadership role in real estate to assist in the company's expansion.

She worked at the long-established grocer in the area as it dealt with the pandemic in its early weeks and month. At that time, the top leadership of Giant Eagle emphasized the importance of having anyone in management who was not working on a few select tasks to go work in stores where their help was most needed.

Morascyzk is aware of the importance of this, as well as the fact that other women are in her upper management team at Giant Eagle. She has always been comfortable in construction despite the lack of females in the field.

She said, 'You won't find many people in construction or commercial real estate. 'But I felt at home right away.'

Her focus at Giant Eagle has been on remodelling and rebranding in recent years, converting some Giant Eagle stores into Market Districts.

Morascyzk stated that the company was ready to expand its stores again.

She said, "I feel honored every day to be a part of the leadership team that will lead this regional supermarket into the future."

BIOBOX:

Family: Joe, the husband; Elena (12), Angeline (10), and R.J. (8).

Education: Bachelor of Business Administration; Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Washington & Jefferson College

Pizza Shack Cap N Video, a VHS video rental shop and pizza restaurant.

Water skiing, ice hockey and moms.

Community Involvement Board Vice Chair, Chair-elect March of Dimes of Western & Central PA. Board chair, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. Member, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania Women's Leadership Council Workplace Leadership Team and Bridges Society.

FAVORITES:

Book: "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Movie/TV Show/Podcast : "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation" (movie), "Yellowstone" (TV show), and "SmartLess" (podcast).

Chicago, Music Artist