Female Leaders in Retail & Consumer Goods

3 Guest Speakers, 3 Inspiring Stories

​The latest instalment of the Female Leaders in Retail & Consumer Goodsevent series brought together three beautifully inspiring voices— Alana Bennett, Angeline Achariya, and Jessica Low—who shared candid insights on navigating the highs and lows of leadership. This Q&A-style event explored resilience, personal growth, and strategies for thriving in challenging environments, especially as a female leader.

Building on the foundational themes from our first event and blog, “Bouncing Back as a Woman in Leadership,”it sets the stage for a three-part mini-series that will delve deeper into the unique experiences and actionable insights shared by each panellist.

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Resilience, Leadership, and Consumer Centric Thinking

Angeline Achariya, CEO of innovation Game changers, shared how reframing failure as a growth opportunity fosters innovation and curiosity. She emphasised the importance of accountability and authenticity in leadership, highlighting her transition from task-oriented management to a people-first approach through embracing feedback. Angeline also advocated for a consumer-centric mindset, encouraging leaders to engage directly with customers to drive meaningful and impactful innovation.

Prioritising Values and Redirecting Leadership

Alana Bennett, Human Experience Fanatic & Coach – Connected Experience, shared her journey of aligning her career with her values, driven by personal moments like her child’s observations of her work-life balance and the loss of a close friend. These experiences led her to build a leadership coaching business centered on resilience and intentionality.

She reframed “soft skills” as “power skills,” emphasising their critical role in leadership and the strength found in positivity and daily practices like journaling and affirmations. Alana’s insights on self-compassion and mental fitness resonate with themes from our blog “ The Unsung Strengths of Empathetic Employees”highlighting the importance of prioritising wellbeing for sustainable success.

Redefining Success Through Career Transitions

Jessica Low, General Manager at Jo Mercer, reflected on the challenges and rewards of navigating career transitions when parenthood came into play. She highlighted the strain of balancing demanding professional responsibilities with her desire to be present for her children.

Candidly sharing how a career break initially shook her confidence, Jessica stressed the importance of flexibility, meaningful connections, and aligning roles with personal values—a theme also explored in our blog withSally King on navigating career decisions, “Insights from Sally King on Navigating Your Career.”

Females in Leadership: A Constant Inspiration

Events like these are just one of many reasons why women are feeling increasingly empowered in the industry and growing more confident in their power skills and workplace presence.

From reframing failure and prioritising values to navigating career transitions and fostering authentic leadership, the discussion provided tangible strategies for leaders to become the best versions of themselves.

As the Retail and Consumer Goods industry continues to evolve, these stories of resilience and growth highlight the enduring importance of adaptability, clarity, and human connection in achieving lasting success. These three remarkable women represent a broader community of female leaders who inspire with their respect, integrity, and self-compassion.

Stay tuned for our upcoming three-part blog series and future events featuring the female voices shaping the industry's future.