A genuine love of food and the opportunity to positively influence customers in their everyday lives inspired Shannon Kelly to join the grocery sector.
For Kelly, food is deeply personal. It shapes everyday wellbeing, connection and celebration. She was drawn to the idea of commercial decisions having real-world impact, where products, prices and categories directly influence what families cook, share and enjoy.
After completing her business degree, Kelly began in sales at Unilever, learning strong commercial fundamentals from the ground up.
She then moved into category management in pharmacy before stepping into Foodstuffs Wellington to lead the Merchandise team in Ambient, Chilled, Frozen and Liquor. She transitioned to Foodstuffs North Island following the merger, broadening her scope of responsibility, and later joined The Warehouse Group to gain further cross-category retail exposure.
From there, Kelly moved into entrepreneurship, co-founding MiteyCo Brands and launching the allmite gold spreads range from concept to shelf. She led the development and expansion of the brand across both New Zealand and Australia.
After establishing the business, she built a team to manage operations before stepping into her current role as General Manager Merchandise at Farro. Each stage added a different lens as a supplier, retailer and entrepreneur, which now informs her leadership approach.
Kelly admires Theresa Gattung for her courage and clarity as a leader who scaled with conviction and remained unapologetically ambitious, breaking barriers as one of New Zealand’s first female CEOs of a listed company. Observing her career reinforced the importance of decisive leadership and backing oneself in complex environments.
“She demonstrated that leadership requires both commercial sharpness and resilience, especially when you are first or different in the room and navigating complexity,” she said.
Her advice is to think bigger than feels comfortable, seek mentorship earlier, and equally become a mentor sooner. Even before you feel fully confident, you have value to add.
“Build commercial capability early, own your ambition and do not dilute your standards for others. Back yourself and once you are in a position to do so, open the door wider for others.”
Having stood in a supplier’s shoes, Kelly understands the courage required to launch and the impact that ranging, advocacy, and empathy can have. That perspective shapes how she works with supplier partners at Farro.
Building strong categories, championing exceptional producers and working alongside people who care deeply about food have continued to drive her every day.
“Customers love Farro, and that loyalty is earned daily through attention to detail, discipline, and passion.”
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