BCom, GAICD
At St Margaret’s 1989-1990
Jacqueline Wilson-Smith (nee Simes) has been driving strategy, innovation and sustainable transformations in agri-food since 1995 when she switched from being an EY accountant into an agile innovator holding global roles with McCormick, Gourmet Garden, Mondelez, Constellation and the Hardy Wine Company.
In 2019, Jacqueline founded the Sustainable Innovation Company, on a mission to catalyse impactful innovation and radical change in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. Jacqui works glovally (global, local and virtual) and aspires to be known as a pioneer of collaborative leadership, capable of mobilising people, communities and organisations to create better and change for good together.
Prior to founding her own company, Jacqui held the position of Global Innovator Strategist for McCormick and Company and, before that, she was Head of Global Innovation and Marketing for Gourmet Garden.
Jacqueline is co-founder and past immediate chair of Food Agribusiness Network (FAN) and a non-executive director and advisor on a number of boards, panels and committees including Food Agility, Traveller’s Choice, Agrifuture’s Rural Women’s Award & Alumni Network, Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s Circularity Group and Queensland’s Manufacturing Ministerial Committee.
In addition, Jacqueline and her associated organisations have been the recipients of several awards including 2018 and 2019 FAN Business Awards, Social Enterprise, the 2017 AgriFuture’s Rural Women’s Award Queensland, 2015 World Star Award, World Packaging Organisation, a 2014 Design Award, Packaging Council of Australia and 2014 Good Design Award, Good Design Australia.
Jacqueline holds a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of Queensland and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
Of her St Margaret’s experience Jacqueline says: “I gained wonderful, enduring friendships through my boarding experience which have been a constant source of support and encouragement throughout my life. As a St Margaret’s student, I learnt to be an independent thinker, gained good values, self-belief and a deep-rooted determination to help women fulfil their potential.”
Having spent many years living in the UK and travelling regularly to the USA, Jacqueline now lives in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on a five-acre patch with her husband James and their three teenagers who together run the ‘Black Plum Art Shed’ for fun.
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