2024 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Jenna Yehia (Q&A)
Jenna Yehia
Confectionery Sales Director – Grocery Channel
Mars Wrigley Canada
You started in the pet category. How did you end up working in the grocery channel?
It sounds like a bigger change than it was! I began my career as a territory manager selling pet nutrition to independent pet specialty retailers. Working closely with pet-passionate people and spending extensive time in stores across Ontario was a great way to learn the retail industry. As my career in pet progressed, I worked in category, strategy and account management roles with grocery and mass retailers. After a decade in pet nutrition, I wanted to broaden my perspective and change agility by learning a new category. Mars gave me the opportunity to lead our grocery business in confectionery. I’ve loved embracing this impulsive, engaging and dynamic category and its crucial role in the grocery industry. While my cats may miss having me in the pet world, my daughters couldn’t be happier with the change!
How have you approached relationship building with grocers?
I try to start by asking questions and listening so I can understand their priorities, challenges and strategies. This helps me work with our team to provide more relevant ideas and approaches to growing our category together. When we build plans to support grocers’ priorities and help tackle some of the challenges they face, we can build trust and add value—this gives us space to bring some exciting projects to life in grocery.
What has been a career highlight?
When I began my current role, we had a challenging account, where both our team and the retailer were falling short on our shared objectives and had several agreements that were not delivering value. We reviewed the business from end to end and identified areas for change and a path forward. This involved navigating a daunting negotiation that spanned several months, requiring extensive cross-functional collaboration. Fortunately, the retailer proved to be highly collaborative and receptive to solutions. Ultimately, we reached an agreement that drove mutual value and positioned both parties for long-term success together. I was proud of the team’s resilience in tackling the challenge and the results exceeded our expectations.
What is a big challenge that you've faced and how did you tackle it?
The early days of the pandemic presented immense challenges for all. I experienced them as a mother of two children under five. Balancing work responsibilities became particularly daunting when schools and daycares closed, stripping away crucial support systems. This experience underscored the importance of a workplace that embraces flexibility, a compassionate and understanding line manager, and a supportive partner equally invested in our children's well-being. I'm deeply grateful for the privilege of having access to these vital resources and am especially grateful for the teachers and childcare providers who play such an important role in my family’s life.
What do you like most about your job?
At Mars, I've been fortunate to have some exceptional managers, mentors and friends who coached me and played pivotal roles in advancing my career. In my current role, I have the privilege of paying that forward by supporting my team members and mentees in their professional development journeys. I get energy from helping them refine their skills, broaden their influence and navigate their career paths. Being curious about people’s stories, open to sharing best practices, and embracing mistakes to learn and grow has helped me build resilient teams and identify future talent. I’m especially passionate about helping female leaders, caregivers and early talent find their place and their voice in this industry.
What is a fun fact about you?
I recently spent two weeks exploring Japan with my six- and eight-year-old daughters, my husband and our carry-on-only luggage!
Click here for the full list of 2024 Star Women in Grocery award winners.