2026 Joe Berry Award Partnership and Career Development Series

Six Degrees Executive has been the exclusive talent partner of the Joe Berry Award  since 2019. Established in 1986, the award is one of Australia and New Zealand's most prestigious recognitions for emerging leaders under 35 across retail and FMCG — and over the past seven years, our involvement has grown into something that goes well beyond the partnership itself.

Our work in executive recruitment across FMCG and retail naturally connects us to the future leaders this award champions. That connection is what led us to develop the Career Development Series — an initiative we host exclusively for Joe Berry and AFGC scholarship finalists, designed to give emerging leaders access to the kind of conversations that don't happen in the usual course of a career.

We are grateful to Keith Quigg and the Joe Berry Award team for the trust they have placed in us to bring this series to life, and for their continued commitment to developing the next generation of FMCG and retail leaders.

What the Career Development Series is

The series brings finalists together with senior industry leaders across three interactive sessions held in Melbourne and Sydney. Each session is built around a specific theme — leadership, growth mindset, commercial relationships - and facilitated by an executive who has navigated that territory firsthand. Facilitators aren't brought in to deliver a polished keynote. They're asked to share the choices they made and the thinking behind them, the wins and the missteps alike.

As Jennifer Kenworthy, Associate Director at Six Degrees Executive, puts it:

"Being a part of the overall Joe Berry Awards experience and bringing together leaders in the field and the emerging talent in industry is what we love about these sessions. We are passionate about developing talent and making connections and this program delivers this in spades."

The 2026 series

The 2026 Career Development Series brought together three facilitators whose careers across FMCG and retail gave finalists a broad and honest view of what leadership in this industry can look like.

The series opened in September 2025 with Matt Graham, General Manager In Home at Patties Food Group, exploring how positive relationships strengthen businesses and drive long-term commercial success. Matt has spent 25 years in FMCG across Australia, with experience at Mars Food, Nestlé and Select Harvests  - and brought to the session a practical, grounded perspective on building partnerships that last.

In March 2026, Steven Bean, General Manager at Grinders and a Joe Berry Award winner himself, led a session on applying a growth mindset across a diverse career and managing the complexity of change. Steve's own career spans Coles, Coca-Cola Amatil, Mondelez and CCEP across ANZ, Asia, the Middle East and Africa — giving finalists a firsthand account of what it looks like to keep evolving through different markets, functions and business contexts.

"I know the Joe Berry Award as more than a competition -  it's a broader program that creates space for learning, connection, and personal growth. The Career Development Series is a great example of the quality of conversations and opportunities it unlocks for young executives, helping build a mindset of seeking perspective and learning from others' experiences. Having benefited from similar in my own early career, it's incredibly rewarding to pay it forward and see the next cohort embrace it with so much energy - it leaves you with real confidence in the future leadership of our industry." - Steven

The series closed in May 2026 with Clair Stevenson, Chief Customer Officer at Inghams Group Limited, on the theme of the moment you stop being the smartest person in the room. Clair brought 20 years of global retail and FMCG experience across grocery, health and beauty, baby, pet, fresh and liquor in Australia and the UK - and the session unpacked what it means to step into a leadership role where focusing on others, not yourself, becomes the measure of performance.

"The best thing experienced leaders can do is not only share highlights but also what they have learned along the way. Share the choices made and the why behind them, the good, bad, and interesting. Experienced leaders can move hindsight into foresight for the next generation — what a gift!"
— Clair Stevenson

What finalists took from the room

For Lauren Louey, Coles Group and 2026 Joe Berry Award Finalist, the value was in the space the series created to step outside the day-to-day.

"My biggest takeaway from the Career Development Series was the value of stepping back from the day-to-day and hearing directly from experienced leaders across the industry. The sessions offered practical advice, honest career reflections and a great opportunity to connect with other finalists who are navigating similar stages in their careers. Programs like this are so important for emerging leaders because they create space for learning, networking and confidence-building beyond the usual work environment. They also help broaden perspectives on what leadership can look like across the industry."
- Lauren Louey, Coles Group

For Cathy Garrone, National Business Manager at Grinders Coffee and 2026 finalist, what stood out was the calibre and candour of the facilitators themselves.

"A key takeaway for me was the calibre and authenticity of the speakers. I particularly enjoyed the sessions with Steve Bean and Clair Stevenson. Steve's journey and progression were incredibly insightful, especially given I work with him - it was valuable to hear his story and perspective in a different context. Clair's session also stood out for her honesty and vulnerability, which I found both refreshing and impactful. That level of openness isn't something you often see from senior executives, and it made the conversation particularly meaningful."
- Cathy Garrone, National Business Manager

What both reflections point to is how much weight finalists placed on hearing leaders speak with candour - not the version of a career that sounds good in a room, but the version that is useful to someone earlier in the journey.

Why this matters for the industry

Retail and FMCG rarely get the airtime that consulting or banking do when students are mapping out a career - despite offering work that shows up in people's lives every day rather than in a quarterly report. The Joe Berry Award and the Career Development Series are part of changing that story, building visibility for an industry that deserves it and giving the leaders coming through it a network that lasts well past the finalist stage.

By combining the legacy of the Joe Berry Award with Six Degrees Executive's network of senior industry leaders, the series opens doors for finalists not only across Australia and New Zealand but into the UK. The impact compounds over time - peer connections that grow with each career milestone, access to decision-makers at a stage when that access matters most, and a clearer picture of what a high-impact career in this industry can look like.

Get involved

The Career Development Series is only possible because of the senior leaders who step forward as facilitators - sharing their knowledge, their networks and their time with the next generation of FMCG and retail leaders.

If you are interested in being part of the Joe Berry Award and Career Development Series journey as a facilitator, supporter or participant, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to Jennifer Kenworthy at jenniferk@sde.com.au to explore opportunities.