AACS WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE INITIATIVE AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE

MEDIA RELEASE
March 31 2014
In line with its commitment to securing a strong future for the convenience industry in Australia, the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has unveiled a new program focused on attracting, retaining and supporting women by emphasising the career path opportunities the convenience channel presents.
The AACS Women in Convenience program has been established to:
• provide support and inspiration to women within the convenience industry through a specifically tailored but not exclusive women’s speaker and networking series; and
• attract and retain the best female talent into the convenience industry and make us famous for it.
AACS CEO Jeff Rogut said the Women in Convenience program is vital to the industry’s future and an opportunity to set convenience apart in terms of the broad range of career opportunities it presents.
“The key to attracting the most talented people, both women and men, into our industry is to demonstrate the varied and exciting career paths that the convenience channel can provide,” Mr Rogut said.
“Be it on the retailer or supplier side, we need to ensure through the innovation of our industry that convenience offers women even in senior or national management roles a variety of opportunities to further their career.
“It is a key objective of AACS to not only attract but also retain the most talented professionals and programs such as Women in Convenience are a key component of this.
“The program is geared towards women in senior and junior roles and aims to support and encourage their personal and professional growth so they may become the convenience industry leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
Beginning as a series of networking events, the AACS Women in Convenience program could be expanded to include mentoring, scholarship and internship programs, among other initiatives designed to meet the program’s objectives.
The inaugural Women in Convenience event will take place in Melbourne on May 6, prior to the launch of the annual AACS State of the Industry Report in Melbourne the following day.
Parmalat and Frucor are the proud sponsors of this first event and AACS thanks them also for their initiative in establishing this event.
Featuring high profile media and social commentator Mia Freedman as guest speaker on the topic of The importance of networking for success as a woman in business, the event will also feature a Q&A with the women of the AACS Board – Peri Hunter (BP and AACS Chair), Julie Laycock (7-Eleven and AACS Treasurer) and Jo Moxey (Coca-Cola Amatil and Supplier representative on the AACS Board).
“For the first time we have three female board members of AACS and a female chairperson, so there’s no doubt women are helping to drive and shape the future of our industry,” Mr Rogut said.
“There are many other great female role models in convenience too, so through this series of networking and informative events we aim to achieve greater consistency in our different member organisations.
“Ideally, talented women in other industries will be encouraged to come on board,” he said.
For further information, please contact:
Jeff Rogut
Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
Chief Executive Officer
Ph: 0467 873 789
Stephen Naylor
Wise McBaron Communication
Ph: (02) 9279 4770