In this episode of Business & Beyond, Sanjay Chari speaks with John Gualtieri, Managing Director of Officeworks Australia, about leadership, authenticity, and navigating change at scale.​

John shares reflections from a long career in retail, from his early days on the shop floor to leading major transformations. He shares lessons shaped over time — often learned by getting things wrong first — and how those experiences influenced the way he leads today.​

The conversation explores ​

1. why simplifying choices builds trust​
2. the importance of genuinely listening to frontline teams and acting on what you hear​
3. how leaders can stay effective even when they don’t have all the answers​

A thoughtful discussion on leadership shaped by experience, and what really matters over the long run.​

BCG maintains a professional relationship with the company represented by this episode’s guest.​

​Chapters:

00:00 Why diversity of thought really matters​

00:26 Introducing John Gualtieri​

01:00 Growing up, family, and early influences​

04:31 First steps into retail​

06:46 Early leadership roles and career choices​

11:56 Joining Kmart and the journey of transformation​

14:23 Simplifying complexity to rebuild customer trust​

19:13 Big decisions and the Kmart turnaround​

20:05 Leadership lessons: the power of listening ​

26:43 Throwing out the script during COVID​

28:31 Leading Officeworks today​

30:08 The pace of change in modern retail​

32:58 Future opportunities: Tech, B2B​

37:36 Purpose beyond profit​

39:03 Staying grounded as a leader

In this episode of BCG Business & Beyond, Sanjay Chari sits down with Fiona Hayes, CEO and MD of 7-Eleven Australia, to unpack how one of the country’s most recognisable convenience brands is reinventing itself. Fiona discusses the shift from fuel-led missions to a food and beverage-led offer, why supermarkets and convenience retailers are converging, and how 7-Eleven is reshaping customer perception through store upgrades, product innovation and its new “Anytime is 7-Eleven time” brand platform.​

She shares practical examples of what customers are demanding today, the rise of delivery as a core channel, and how Gen Z trends are reshaping drinks and snacking. Fiona also dives into AI use cases already live in stores, including automated stock ordering and agentic AI tools that support 8000 frontline team members.​

Finally, she opens up about her 30-year career from call centres to the CEO role, how she stays energised at 5:30 am training sessions, and the leadership habits that help her build resilient teams and navigate major transformation.​

BCG maintains a professional relationship with the company represented by today’s guest.

Chapters:

00:34 - Introducing Fiona Hayes and the modern 7-Eleven​

02:09 - How convenience has evolved in Australia​

04:03 - Intensifying competition and sector convergence​

05:31 - What today’s ANZ customers expect​

07:08 - Inside 7-Eleven’s purpose, ambition and growth strategy​

10:01 - Food and beverage as the future of convenience​

12:08 - Changing customer perception of 7-Eleven​

15:49 - Product innovation, testing and global inspirations​

20:11 - Localisation, franchisees and store-level agility​

23:46 - Digital engagement, loyalty and the rise of delivery​

27:34 - Partnerships, people and the success ecosystem​

29:02 - How 7-Eleven is applying AI across the business​

37:42 - Fiona’s career journey, adaptability and growth​

55:23 - Personal sustainability, leadership and career advice

What does leadership look like when the playbook doesn’t exist?​​

In our first episode, Grant McCabe, Managing Partner of BCG ANZ, joins Sanjay Chari to talk about leading through uncertainty, building trust, and staying grounded under pressure.​

They explore habits that sustain focus and resilience, the evolving role of AI in business, and what it really means to lead with both clarity and care.