Following a mammoth 17-year career at Ampol, Skye Jackson’s desire for change led her to a part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a new role at a leading competitor. Now, with her sights set on driving the transformation of convenience stores throughout Australia, she’s revolutionising how we fuel more than just our cars.
As the Area Lead for Growth and Change at 7-Eleven, Skye manages teams across network planning, construction and design. “It’s all about new stores, upgrading stores and reinvesting in stores,” she explains. “The capital budget I have within my space this year – is a multi-million dollar investment.”
Part of her role also involves signing-off on new locations, particularly in regional Australia, which has presented an array of opportunities and challenges for her and her team. “We’re the only ones in the industry who do fresh, delivered daily – everyone else in the market usually gets deliveries three times a week,” she explains. “But because of our commitment to providing a quality offer to the customer, it’s more complex to move into some regional markets.” This includes places like North Queensland.
“I’ve been working with the supply change team to find ways to stock these types of locations,” she says. “We want to make this work and deliver fresh food daily to our customers – it’s been a real challenge, but it’s been a good one.”
Developing future icons
With a portfolio echoing that of a Chief Development Officer, Skye is a part of 7-Eleven’s big ambitions for the future. “We want to grow our store count to approximately 1,000 by 2030, and really focus on our non-fuel format,” she explains. “In Japan, 7-Eleven is iconic so we’re evolving our offer to be more like those locations.” With 750 stores in the network, this is no mean feat. Having previously been deeply involved in transforming the convenience offer within Ampol, Skye feels confident about the road ahead. “It’s really where my passion lies.”
Back to class
With a strong desire to extend her network and acquire new skills, Skye knew completing a MBA would be the change and challenge she needed. “Sometimes, when you’re doing undergrad, it can feel a bit like a tick and flick exercise,” she says. “Having been at Ampol for so long – I really wanted to do an MBA to increase my knowledge and support my career growth, but to also meet people in other industries and organisations.”
I really wanted to do an MBA to increase my knowledge and support my career growth, but to also meet people in other industries and organisations.
Skye Jackson
Master of Business Administration (2015) graduate
“I really wanted to do an MBA to increase my knowledge and support my career growth, but to also meet people in other industries and organisations.”Skye Jackson
Master of Business Administration (2015) graduate
Studying part-time while working full-time, Skye completed her MBA in six years – making a point not to overload herself during busy or high-demand periods at work. “For the final capstone, I was really deliberate about finding a time at work where I could invest the hours and energy I knew it would take,” she says.
For Skye, the biggest benefits of her study, however, came from learning how to step out of problems and complex situations – and consider these from a consultant mindset. “It was all about learning not to have that emotion in there,” she says. “The capstone taught us to think like an outsider – how would I be approaching this issue if I wasn’t so invested?”
Embracing a long view to the future
At the core of Skye’s career lies an ongoing desire to constantly evolve and meet the changing needs of her customers. “I love problem solving and picking apart the way we do things,” she says. “What I enjoy the most though is discovering better processes and changing the way we do things to deliver results.”
Thankfully, her latest role at 7-Eleven allows her to look ahead and plan with consideration. “It’s great when you’re in a business that plays the long-game and has a strategy that’s strongly aligned to a clear long term ambition.”
