This episode is supported by Xero, helping businesses use AI with more control through JAX, its in-platform AI finance partner. Get 90% off your plan for your first 6 months at xero.com/highflyers.

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Aleks Spaseska is the CEO of Kmart Group, an A$11.8 billion (US$8 billion) retail giant behind Kmart, Target and the global Anko brand, operating 445 stores with over 48,000 employees. This is a rare in-depth interview with Aleks.

In this rare public conversation, Aleks Spaseska joins Vidit to share how she went from struggling to find her confidence at school to becoming CEO of one of the region’s largest retailers. She reveals the career move that changed everything, how she returned from maternity leave into a bigger leadership role, and what really helped her stand out from her peers.

They also explore the realities of running a retail giant, the leadership mistakes that shaped her, why she never had a 10-year career plan, and how her childhood continues to influence the decisions she makes as CEO.

Please enjoy exploring your curiosity.

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This episode is supported by Xero, helping businesses use AI with more control through JAX, its in-platform AI finance partner. Get 90% off your plan for your first 6 months at xero.com/highflyers.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Meet Aleks Spaseska
02:20 Why store managers are underrated leaders
05:50 Growing up in Macedonia
08:45 No English
10:15 Why she never planned her career
11:15 How childhood shaped her view of affordability
13:10 From university to a finance PhD
17:45 The career move that changed everything
20:50 Lessons from her early Wesfarmers years
25:30 Taking uncomfortable career risks
28:00 Transforming Target's business
33:50 Learning empathy as a leader
37:15 Maternity leave, relocation and COVID
39:15 Making decisions without rigid plans
41:20 How Kmart operates within Wesfarmers
46:00 From CFO to CEO of Kmart
49:10 The Anko business model and global expansion
54:00 Kmart's next chapter of growth
56:40 Rapid fire round

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The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.

Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Keith Rabois (Managing Director, Khosla Ventures), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Michael Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Aleks Spaseska (CEO, Kmart) David Eckstein (CFO, Legora), David Schneider (Growth Fund Co-Lead Partner, Coatue), Venky Ganesan (Managing Partner, Menlo Ventures), Shiv Rao (CEO, Abridge), Jesse Zhang (CEO, Decagon), Vandita Pant (CFO, BHP), Elena Verna (Head of Growth, Lovable), David Haber (a16z Partner), Jodie Auster (Uber's Global Head of Travel), Paul Grosmann (CEO, RM Williams), Rob Giglio (CCO, Canva), Jean-Michel Limieux (CTO, Shopify and Atlassian), Stevie Case (CRO, Vanta), Cristina Cordova (COO, Linear), Gautam Chari (Head of Capital Commitments, Bank of America), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Mark Suster (Partner, Upfront Ventures), Niki Scevak (Partner, Blackbird), Craig Tiley (CEO, USA Tennis), Jeanne DeWitt Grosser (COO, Vercel), Paul Bassat (Partner, Square Peg), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Sam Sicilia (CIO, Hostplus), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Tim Doyle (CEO, Eucalyptus), Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (CEO, Xero), Sanjeev Gandhi (CEO, Orica) and Philip Green (Australia's Ambassador/High Commissioner to India).

#285 Aleks Spaseska: Kmart's CEO on Her Macedonian Upbringing, Taking Uncomfortable Career Risks and Why Retail Is Rewarding

The High Flyers Podcast with Vidit Agarwal

#285 Aleks Spaseska: Kmart's CEO on Her Macedonian Upbringing, Taking Uncomfortable Career Risks and Why Retail Is Rewarding