Photos by Wes Kroninger
Lisa Ingram never thought she’d become the CEO of White Castle.
Ingram says she has always been proud that her great-grandfather, Billy Ingram, was one of the hamburger chain’s founders in Kansas in 1921. But the Upper Arlington resident wanted to make her own path – a path that ultimately led her back to the family business.
“I wanted to go out and explore the world,” says Ingram, who also grew up in Upper Arlington and attended Upper Arlington High School, where she was the football cheerleading captain, a lacrosse and field hockey player, a part of the yearbook staff – and a White Castle employee over the course of a couple summers. “I wanted to see a different city, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever come back and work in the family business.”
Ingram stayed in Dallas for about a decade.
“I enjoyed spreading my wings in a different way, and making my own way,” she says. “No one knew who my family was in Dallas.”
She kept in touch with White Castle’s marketing director, a woman she had worked for while employed at the restaurant during her summers as a high school student. One day, she told Ingram she was looking for a marketing manager, and wondered if Ingram was interested.
“At that point, I had to figure out if I wanted to work in the family business or not,” Ingram says. “That job offer and her phone call really made me think.”
Ingram went back home to Columbus and accepted the job. She worked in marketing for two years and also tackled a master’s degree in business at The Ohio State University. She received several job offers after she finished her degree, and initially thought she might go into consulting.
“My father gave me an offer I didn’t think I could refuse,” Ingram says. “So, I went back.”
Ingram says her father, Bill Ingram, left her very big shoes to fill. He retired at the end of 2015 after 35 years with the company. But Ingram says she was more than ready to step up to the challenge.
“We had three successful generations of progress and prosperity,” Ingram says. “I think the expectation to not be the generation to screw it up weighs heavily on my mind. They set the bar very high, so I’m always making sure that I’m doing what I can to honor the past but make sure we are relevant to the future. Mixing that together is hard to do sometimes, but if we keep doing it, we’ll see great things.”
The best part of her job, Ingram says, is getting to talk about White Castle, its 95-year-old history and her grandfather’s legacy. At the time White Castle was founded in Kansas, Ingram says, hamburgers weren’t a popular food. Her great-grandfather wanted to sell the burgers for five cents apiece; that way, everyone could afford them. White Castle ended up growing eastward, since that’s where most of the population was. The business officially moved to Columbus in 1934.
Ingram also serves on the OhioHealth, United Way of Central Ohio, Columbus Partnership and National Restaurant Association boards.
Out and About in Upper Arlington with Lisa Ingram
The Fourth of July is Ingram’s favorite time of year.
“When I was in college, I would come back, just because it’s such a big deal here,” Ingram says. “I have very fond memories of being in the parade as a cheerleader. The patriotism, the fireworks in Northam Park – that holiday is definitely one of my greatest childhood memories.”
Ingram, who has four children – one girl and three boys, ages 11, 5, 7 and 9 – with her husband, Greg Guy, says it’s easy to find great activities in the area for the kids.
“I love that my kids can walk to school and that we’re so close to the parks,” she says. “That community feeling is what makes Upper Arlington great. It’s great having neighbors who share the same values and appreciation for the community.”
Ingram enjoys shopping and dining along Lane Avenue and visiting the Upper Arlington Public Library. Upper Arlington’s proximity to Downtown and the OSU campus is another draw. Ingram says she and her family will often ride their bikes to OSU games.
“That’s a great way to stay healthy and avoid traffic,” she says. “This community is a place that very much welcomes that and wants to help make an impact.”
Hannah Bealer is an editor. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
