World’s Best Female Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko (B): Leadership, Identity and Change

The case describes a career-defining decision by the renowned chef Ana Ros, a self-taught cook whose sustainable haute cuisine has attracted customers from across the world to Hisa Franko, her restaurant in the remote Soca Valley of Slovenia. The star of the Netflix viral hit Chef’s Table had already earned the title of World’s Best Female Chef and won a Michelin star, but in June 2021 all of those accolades are put at risk as the Covid-19 pandemic closes international borders and lockdowns are imposed. Ros’ clients cannot travel nor can she source ingredients from her network of local suppliers.
As she watches her restaurant grind to a standstill, a Slovenian supermarket chain, Tus, offers to make a deal: can she create mass-produced food for everyday consumers to stock its shelves?

What will happen to her business and her reputation if she accepts the offer? Describing how the girl who grew up in the Slovenian countryside is forced to rethink her approach to cuisine and business, the case offers students an “Identity Canvas” to explore their own identities and reflect on how to make career-defining decisions consistent with who they are.

The case enables students to understand the role of major societal and organizational changes in business models, leadership and identity as a cornerstone on which to build organizational and individual resilience. Students follow the progress of a Ana Roš, THE world’s best female chef, who transformed an organization from a local to a global brand and subsequently faced a dilemma over the continuity of her business model as well as a fundamental threat to her professional identity and company culture. In this sense, the case speaks to leaders, strategists, HR management and R&D professionals.

Appropriate Uses:
MBA and executive audiences in modules on leadership, organizational behavior, human resource management, innovation management, change management, and sustainability.

Teaching the Case / Case Analysis:
The case is best suited to a 90-minute session with executive, MBA, MiM (Masters in Management), or MA/MSc classes. For executive groups, the instructor should anticipate deeper discussions, reflective activities, and discussions about the possible future development of the company and students’ own professional identities.