inside retail academy leadership seminar summary

Inside Retail Academy’s Leadership SeminarThe Sheraton Hotel, MelbourneOctober 2015

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Seminar Details

Inside Retail Academy’s Leadership SeminarSeminar: 13-14 October, 2015The Sheraton Hotel, MelbourneThe Sheraton Hotel, Sydneyhttps://www.insideretail.com.au/blog/2015/10/07/last-chance-for-inside-retail-academys-leadership-seminar/

Inside Retail Academy, the executive education arm of Inside Retail, is launching a new event that will tackle the key issues surrounding HR leadership in the retail industry. The workshop will aim to equip retailers with a better understanding of how to manage HR challenges in the lead up to the busy Christmas trade period.”

One member of the ACRS team attended day 1 of the Inside Retail Academy’s Leadership Seminar in Melbourne. The event was very insightful, outlining the struggles and key strategies for retailers in managing people and culture.

Inside Retail Academy’s Leadership Seminar

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https://www.insideretail.com.au/blog/2015/10/07/last-chance-for-inside-retail-academys-leadership-seminar/



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Seminar Highlights – Elle Roseby - Supre

Transformative RetailElle Roseby, General Manager, Supre Value alignment is very important for likemindedness. Recruiting for a degree of resilience so that people can come back from set-backs and be nimble to

change. Leaders need to make people understand the ‘why’ behind what they’re being asked to do. A good culture requires guidelines around what will and will not be tolerated and then trust and

empower employees to allow them to get things done.

Elle discussed her approach to setting up a new culture and a new team when the Cotton On group took over Supre and formed a new leadership. Elle is a big believer in having one vision to guide everyone. Her approach to recruitment is to recruit for value alignment and certain behavioural traits such as resilience. She discussed needed to approach people with a very simple proposition “you are either on the bus, or you’re not”. In this way, Supre can achieve one team working towards the same goals.

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Seminar Highlights – Steve Arthurson – API Priceline

High Performance LeadershipSteve Arthurson, General Manager of People, Priceline Try to understand the core values of people and what drives them. You can inspire people short-term but leaders need to help people find their long-term motivation. The behaviours you show everyday and the behaviours you accept from others is the culture that you get. People need to be united around the organisation’s vision and values.

Steve talked about how leaders need to help their people get in touch with themselves as people and help them find their personal burning platform and ambition. He believes it is important to start with people as individuals before helping them to engage, inspire and enable others. Steve talked about the transformation that API went through when they acquired Priceline and wanted to make the two businesses one business. His approach to change follows a five step process where the need to change is agreed to and a shared vision of what the change looks like is created. Then the personal impact of the change needs to be addressed and Steve believes that companies often ignore people’s negative emotions and reactions because they’re difficult to deal with. Then the capability around the change needs to be developed followed by identifying and celebrating the quick wins.


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Seminar Highlights – Kristina Dryza

The Future Of People In RetailKristina Dryza, Consumer Trends Expert Archetypes are patterns in human consciousness that have light and shadow. Archetypes can be developmental – who we need to grow into. You always have to speak the language that the other person understands. It’s important to understand people so that you can provide conditions to allow them to be who they are.

Kristina discussed different archetypes that describe peoples patterns of behaviour and thought. She talked about 5 common archetypes in retail; caregiver, pioneer, artist, storyteller and rebel. Understanding someone’s archetype allows you to connect with the being of the person, who they innately are. Kristina discussed the value of each archetype as well as the traits to watch out for, or challenges associated with that archetype. She explained that a mixture of different archetypes is needed in a successful business and that the organisation needs to provide the conditions for each archetype to flourish and to get along with each other.


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Seminar Highlights – Alexie O’Brien, Kit & Ace

Global Brand to Australian Shores Case StudyAlexie O’Brien, Head of Australia/ New Zealand, Kit & Ace Need to articulate a vision that is more than KPIs and gives your employees a reason to get out of bed every

day. Encourage employees to create a life of their own design and live it. Look for people with an entrepreneurial spirit, this is a mindset and determines how decisions are

approached. Transformation involves in the moment feedback, understanding impact and having a desire to change.

Alexie talked about the emergence of Kit & Ace as a business that believes in a full contact life and that provides fabric and clothes to help people move throughout their day. Kit & Ace is a company that is on the fast-track in terms of growth and is creating opportunities for people through big jobs that facilitate growth and learning. Alexie discussed the importance of recruiting the right people for Kit & Ace. For them, cultural fit is above everything else and Alexie often looks for people with an entrepreneurial spirit to match the agile environment in Kit & Ace.


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Seminar Highlights – Gareth Fowler, The Co-Op

With The Mantra – “be the best, make it happen – one team” – The Co-Op Is Constantly Invigorating Their Youthful TeamGareth Fowler, National Retail Manager, The Co-Op Be the best, make it happen, one team – a simple message is best for saturation. If you’re always striving to be the best than the bar stays high. Leaders don’t manage people – they manage behaviours. You need to be fair on the person but firm on the behaviour.

Gareth from the member-owned bookstore cooperative The Co-Op discussed the strategy driving the team and the simple message behind it “be the best, make it happen, one team” which ensures everyone knows and remembers it. This simple mantra keeps the bar to strive for high, encourages a can do attitude and unity between team members no matter the role. Gareth’s view on leadership is that leaders manage behaviours and they are on display and show the culture. An important part of a leaders role, according to Gareth, is having conversations often and being fair on the person by ensuring expectations and consequences are understood so that leaders can be firm on the behaviour and determine what is and is not acceptable.


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Seminar Highlights – Peta Granger, Lush

Engagement And A Sense Of Community Saved LUSHPeta Granger, Director, LUSH Australia Transparency creates ownership and can facilitate store manager autonomy. People don’t want to sell something, they want to belong to something. Performance sharing bonuses motivate people to not work in silos. Employees are drawn to LUSH because of the values and ethics, and campaigner nature of the brand.

Peta discussed how LUSH keeps in touch with their team and with customers by always having a team member from stores around at all times decisions are getting made. That team member brings the customer into the room. LUSH does not have a traditional structure, there are no area managers or state managers, rather their support team is made up of experts e.g. rostering expert. LUSH turned around its business by creating a community with its employees and allowing them to be part of a brand that actively campaigns for the things its employees care about.


ACRSDepartment of MarketingMonash Business School

Level 6, Building S26 Sir John Monash DriveCaulfield East, VIC 3145

T. +61 3 9903 1124E. [email protected]. monash.edu/acrs
