Krispy Kreme ANZ has announced that Chief Operating Officer Nicola Steele is moving to the role of CEO, effective immediately.
Ms Steele has been with Krispy Kreme Australia since 2006, where she worked her way up from crew member to Store Manager and Area Manager.
In 2011, she left university and returned to Krispy Kreme as a State Manager, before moving into senior leadership roles including National Operations Manager and Head of Retail & Development, where she played a pivotal role in the brand’s expansion into Western Australia and New Zealand.
Over the following eight years, Ms Steele doubled Krispy Kreme’s ANZ retail footprint before being promoted to Chief Operations Officer in March 2022.
“True leadership is anchored in duty, not power. I think it’s incredibly important for leaders in any business to keep at the forefront of their mind the duty they have to those that they are leading,” she says. “Voicing a vision or commitment is great, but ultimately, it’s what you do that people will remember. I’m forever grateful for the wonderful leaders that I have had throughout my career – without them I absolutely wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
Having held nearly every role in Krispy Kreme operations and overseen various departments, from e-commerce, operations to property, Ms Steele’s understanding and unique perspective of the business has become the driving force behind her passion for leading a people-focused enterprise.
“There’s a lack of recognition for retail and manufacturing to be a career pathway, rather than a temporary steppingstone. This limits the age diversity in the QSR industry, which I feel strongly about the need to overcome,” she says.
Throughout her career, Ms Steele kept chasing opportunities where she had a sense of purpose and eventually found a career pathway that ignited her passion, which was and continues to be developing and helping people grow.
“Krispy Kreme operations are complex, from product development, manufacturing to business management and retail support,” she says.
“My focus is to broaden the horizons of career pathways for our employees. I want to be able to offer all team members development and career opportunities that were afforded to me. Hopefully, our next CEO is working as a crew member among us today.”
