The story about DePinto going undercover, reported in CSP Daily News in late October before details of the TV series were revealed, was one of the top-10 most-read stories of 2009. (Click here to read the full story.)
Each week a different executive will leave the comfort of his corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their company. While working alongside their employees, they will see the effects their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organization and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their company run.
Companies whose chief executives will make the undercover journey include such corporate giants as Waste Management (Larry O'Donnell, president and COO), 7-Eleven (DePinto), Hooters (Coby G. Brooks, president and CEO), White Castle (Dave Rife, owner/executive board member) and Churchill Downs (William C. Carstanjen, COO).
The premiere episode of Undercover Boss will follow O'Donnell of Waste Management as he works alongside his employees, cleaning porta-potties, sorting waste at one of their recycling plants, collecting garbage from a landfill and even being fired for the first time in his life. O'Donnell's mission is to garner an up-close look at his company and workforce to see how and where improvements can be made from both an operational and morale standpoint.
DePinto managed to go unrecognized as fellow employees helped him, "Danny," learn the ins and outs of their jobs. Disguised in glasses and a hat, he even grew a beard to help conceal his identity.
"The most important thing I learned...is how critical it is that we must take care of our stores and their employees who are taking care of our customers," DePinto said in October. "This is our mission, and all of us have an important role."
The series moves to its regular Sunday 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time slot on February 14.Click here for a preview of Undercover Boss, featuring Waste Management president and COO Larry O'Donnell. For now, 7-Eleven has deferred all questions about the series to CBS, which has not announced an airdate for the DePinto episode.
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