Donna McFarlane, Team Lead for the Merchandising Team at Chevron Australia Downstream, has a career powered by people, passion, and performance, showing how dedication and collaboration can deliver success. This is her story…
I was born in Ipswich, Queensland, and stayed local until I married my husband, Evan, who was in the army. Life as a military family meant moving around a fair bit – Evan, myself and our two daughters, Breanna and Taylah, lived in Puckapunyal, Brisbane and Darwin throughout his career. It was a busy lifestyle, but it gave us a chance to experience different places and communities.
At school, my favourite subjects were Maths and Art, which I know sounds like an odd combination. I started playing hockey when I was about ten years old and stuck with it for about a decade. A few years ago, I decided to take the sport up again, and it was such a thrill when our Masters team won the Grand Final in the Brisbane competition.
My first job was at a Pizza Hut restaurant while I was still at school, but my first real career was as a hairdresser. That taught me a lot about people and service, which are skills I’ve carried into every role since. Over the years I’ve had the chance to travel quite a bit too. I’ve been to the usual Aussie overseas destinations like Bali, Vanuatu, Koh Samui, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as Texas and Abu Dhabi. But my favourite holiday by far was a four-week adventure around Italy.
These days, I work at Chevron Australia Downstream as the Team Lead for the Merchandising Team. Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies and has been present in Australia for more than 70 years. The Chevron-operated Gorgon and Wheatstone projects produce 45 per cent of Western Australia’s domestic gas supply. Around the country, Chevron delivers quality fuel and lubricant products and services right across the country, operating or supplying a network of service stations under the Caltex brand. From the lights we turn on at home, to powering industry, to helping motorists enjoy their journeys, Chevron and Caltex are an integral part of everyday life in Australia.
Before joining Chevron, I spent 17 years at Frucor Suntory. I started as a Sales Representative, then moved into a Field Sales Manager role, and later into Account Management. Over time, I took on several roles, moving between people management and account management, and worked across almost every channel – independent grocery, structured grocery, distributors, route, on premise, HoReCa, and of course, Petrol and Convenience. That experience gave me a really broad understanding of the FMCG industry and taught me how each part of the business connects.
There have been a lot of highlights along the way. Helping people achieve their goals and succeed is, for me, the most rewarding achievement. I’ve coached several sales representatives who went on to win Sales Rep of the Year, which made me incredibly proud. More recently, our team winning the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) Retailer of the Year was a real career highlight. It was the result of a lot of hard work, collaboration and innovation, and it was exciting to see Caltex recognised as number one.
Outside of work, I’m an avid Brisbane Broncos fan – my family would probably say I’m a tragic. I love going to games whenever I can. At home, my husband and I live on some acreage which we share with our four Pomeranians – Effie-Maree, Maverick, Jolene-Dolly and Tilly. I also love spending time with my nephews and being the fun aunty.
Looking ahead, in five years’ time I see myself still working in the retailer side of FMCG within the Petrol and Convenience industry. One of the advantages of being at Chevron is the many different streams of industry under the company, and I’d love to explore more of those opportunities.
For retailers, my advice is that partnerships are absolutely integral to how we do business. Coming from a supplier background and now being on the retailer side, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is to build strong, trusted relationships. And for suppliers, I’d say that industry data and trends are definitely important, but it’s just as critical to understand each retailer’s own unique dynamics. That insight can help unlock a valuable joint business plan that delivers mutually beneficial wins.
This article originally appeared in the October/November issue of Convenience and Impulse Retailing magazine.
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