Meet Ray Galan, Vice President & Head of Retail at Ferrellgas

Describe your current role at your company.

I oversee Ferrellgas bulk propane operations, covering 36 service center locations nationwide and leading approximately 3,000 employee-owners. My role is to grow our business, ensure we operate safely and meet our customers’ expectations with every delivery.

How did you get your start in propane?

Coming out of college at the University of California, Davis, I applied for a manager-trainee program at Ferrellgas. I was intrigued by the opportunity to run a business and lead people. It was a great experience where I learned Ferrellgas from the ground up, from setting tanks and digging ditches to driving a bobtail and managing [profit and loss]. Six months in, I was promoted to district manager in Eugene, Oregon. It was a great introduction to the propane industry and 29 years later, I am still here.

How do you balance your role with your commitments to industry associations?

Association work matters to our industry, and it matters to me — that’s why I’ve prioritized it throughout my career. I’ve served on the board of the Western Propane Gas Association since 2004 and the Nevada Propane Dealers Association since 2016. I have been attending National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) board of directors’ meetings for the past five years and spent the last year on the executive committee. I recently decided to take this commitment to the next level and joined the NPGA officers as treasurer. The time commitment is real, but shaping where this industry goes is worth the investment.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

When my calendar frees up, I enjoy going to the gym, swimming, snow skiing and fly fishing, especially in Alaska. You may also catch me out on the golf course. 

What do you think would surprise someone about the job you do?

Most people would be surprised how much of my role comes down to coordination — keeping business priorities and what’s actually happening in the field in sync. Operations, customer service, sales and marketing all sit within my purview, which keeps me close to both our customers and our employee-owners. That reach only works because of the talent and dedication of the field and corporate leaders running our teams every day. And because Ferrellgas is employee-owned, every decision runs through one extra filter: how it affects the people who own this company. That’s what shapes how I think about safety, growth and our future.

What’s something you would change in the industry?

The stakes have never been higher for our industry at the state level. That’s why I believe regionalization of our state gas associations is worth pursuing. The Propane Gas Association of New England set the standard for how smaller states can benefit from banding together, and the Southeast Propane Alliance is proving the model again. With numerous states targeting the fossil fuel industry, larger, more focused regional associations would give us the flexibility and financial weight to organize more effectively and defeat harmful legislation.

What’s your favorite part of the workday?

The early evening, once the phone finally goes quiet. That’s when I get a few uninterrupted hours to process the day’s conversations and work through solutions. That’s when the best ideas tend
to surface.

What childhood lessons still influence your actions today?

My dad was a production manager for most of his career, and his dedication to safety and accountability were strong influences throughout my childhood. He used to tell my brother and me, ‘Boys, use common sense, reason and judgment.’ What he meant by that was think before you act and consider the ramifications of making a poor decision. That simple motto has stuck with me, and I try to use it daily with my team. Athletics taught me the rest. Competing — and losing, more than once — taught me more about resilience and how to work with people than almost anything else in my career. I still draw on that.

What’s the last thing you read?

‘Leadership Is Tough,’ written by Mary Kelly and Peter Stark. It’s a clear-eyed look at the pressures every leader faces — difficult conversations, managing stress and the reality that leadership rarely gets easier with seniority.

For a look at other industry figures and their career journeys in propane, visit BPN’s Industry Insider section.