2026 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Amber Skelton (Q&A)
Amber Skelton
Retail Specialist – Front End
Calgary Co-op
How did you get your start in the grocery business?
Back in 2017, after spending 13 years as a stay-at-home mom to our son, I was on the hunt for a full-time job. I was looking for something close to home so I could still support our son should he need me. That hunt led me to a small independent grocery store in our community. I was hired as a grocery clerk and that’s where my start in the grocery business began. In the four-and-a-half years I spent at that store, I had the opportunity to really grow my knowledge of store operations, the grocery business, leadership and the importance of community. Working in many department positions and manager roles as well as office and file/margin maintenance, I took every opportunity to learn as much as I could. When circumstances changed, I found myself taking on a new opportunity with Calgary Co-op in October 2021.
Best day on the job and why?
There have been so many. Each of the three times we successfully opened a new store in the last year and half; watching my store teams make fundraising goals and not just hit them, but crush them; seeing our first electronic sales label project through from beginning to a successful end—there are too many best days to choose just one so, instead, let me tell you what makes a “best day” for me. A best day for me is watching my team succeed. It might be a project we have been working on coming to completion, a problem we have been trying to solve finally being solved, or receiving an incredible customer compliment and being able to celebrate that with the team. A best day has smiling faces, even if it’s been rough, especially if it’s been rough. A best day is when I get to see our teams come together and shine their brightest, as a whole and individually. A best day is watching and cheering as someone on my team grows their confidence by conquering their challenges or working side by side with my team making sandwiches while volunteering for a local school lunch program. Best days are never just about me; they are always about we.
What is your leadership style/philosophy?
I could write a novel on my leadership style/philosophy, but in reality, it all comes down to one simple thing: kindness. Kindness is the most impactful leadership action I have ever seen or used. Kindness doesn’t mean low expectations, it doesn’t stop hard conversations and it doesn’t make excuses. Kindness creates openness; openness creates communication, communication creates success. Kindness creates safety, it shows you care and in return creates care. Kindness actually makes accountability easier; we don’t want to let each other down. Kindness makes hard conversations less tricky because you have taken the time to create real relationships where you, too, can be open without immediately hearing a defensive response. Kindness is the greatest thing you can offer that has the biggest impact. This is true for our teams and for our customers.
What is a career challenge you've faced?
Imposter syndrome. I think this is something many people face, especially women in business. It’s a feeling of “why do these people think I’m so great? I’m not doing anything special!” or “I can’t believe they are putting me in charge of this! Am I even capable of this?”. Imposter syndrome can be very loud and hard to ignore at times. To face this challenge, I remind myself of the wins, I go over all the things my teams and I have accomplished together, all the incredible things my team has told me about the impact I have made on them, in their work lives and personal lives. When I feel like an imposter, I count my impacts, because they are real, and I made them, and that’s why I am where I am and why I keep doing what I do.
What keeps you passionate about your work?
Without a doubt it's the people— my mentors, my team and my colleagues. I work with the best group of people. This company is big, but still small enough to feel like family. The people I work with every day care deeply about this business and each other. We are a community; we win, and occasionally lose together, but no matter what, we are there for each other.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I’m almost always with my husband and our friends hiking in the mountains. We are so lucky to live just 45 minutes from the beautiful Canadian Rockies and we take advantage of that every chance we get. Hiking in the mountains takes me away, it gives me a chance to really disconnect. Hiking is humbling, beautiful and it refills the emotional gas tank. I find joy in the beauty of life—people, animals, nature and in the challenges that come with them all.
Click here for the full list of 2026 Star Women in Grocery Award winners.