Sarah Parkes found herself working in the drinks industry while working in the UK. Originally from New Zealand, she completed a degree in marketing and Japanese, spending time in Japan before moving to the UK.
A friend encouraged her to attend an assessment centre with Guinness. She went along out of interest and, to her surprise, landed the job. That was a boost to her confidence that laid the foundation for long-term growth in the industry.
Sarah went on to spend nine years with Diageo across Australia, before stepping out of drinks for almost a decade at PepsiCo, where she deepened her commercial and category experience. Eight years ago, she returned to the industry through Treasury Wine Estates, where she has remained since.
How the industry has shifted for women
Across three decades, Sarah has watched the drinks industry change, including the experiences available to women. She still values what makes the sector distinctive, including the ways brands create connection and bring people together, but she’s clear that the culture has evolved.
“When I joined, it was very much work hard, play hard,” she recalls. “If you weren’t comfortable with that, it was a challenging industry to be in.
“Over time that has shifted. The diversity of experience and backgrounds and people that we have now is what is needed for the industry to continue to thrive.”
She also points to an increased willingness to set expectations and call out behaviour. “At TWE, we’ve got zero tolerance around behaviour at work events under the influence,” she says. “The standard we set and the standard that we call out is very important.”
The stretch role that changed everything
One of Sarah’s most significant career turning points came at a time when many women face added pressure and heightened self-doubt: becoming a parent.
“When I was pregnant with my first child, I got probably my biggest promotion of my career,” she says. “I didn’t want the role. In fact, I resisted it.”
What changed her mind was sponsorship from a trusted leader who could see her capability clearly, even when she couldn’t. “He was very adamant that I was the right person for the role and that I was putting those barriers in the way,” she says.
She took the role, grew into it, and looks back on it as defining. “That was my most memorable career moment. Since then, for every other role I’ve been offered, I’ve just said yes. I haven’t overthought it, I have learned as I go.”
Leading in service of others
Sarah describes her leadership style as consistent over time, but sharper in how she articulates it now. The core is simple: her job is to remove obstacles so her team can do theirs.
“I have got such a strong belief that I’m in service of my team, not the other way around,” she says. “I am just here to help my team be better at what they do.”
She’s also comfortable moving quickly and avoiding perfectionism for its own sake, especially in a commercial environment where momentum matters. “I am the opposite of a perfectionist,” she explains. “For my team, they know that we want to avoid doing business with ourselves so we make decisions knowing that we can always make another one if it doesn’t work out."
International women’s day as a moment, not the whole job
Parkes enjoys International Women’s Day, but she’s candid about what needs to come next.
“I love the day but it is just a day and just a moment,” she says.
Her focus is on shared responsibility and the need for broader participation in the work of equity and inclusion. “I still feel like there’s a lot of women doing work for women,” she says. “I’d just love to see more men involved.”
For Parkes, the message is practical and future-focused: progress happens when people back themselves, when leaders sponsor talent in real ways and when workplaces set clear standards that make space for a wider range of experiences to thrive.