Meet Emma Thomas, Director of Stores for the North Zone

Following International Women’s Day, we’re continuing to shine a light on the incredible women who make Sainsbury’s what it is.

Meet Emma Thomas, our Director of Stores for the North Zone. Her journey with us started 21 years ago with her very first job – and she’s never looked back. From the shop floor to leading teams across the region, her story is all about passion, growth, and making a real impact.

We caught up with Emma to hear more about her experiences, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and what continues to inspire her in her role.

Tell us briefly about your career journey so far.

I came out of a PhD at university, having loved my role at Sainsbury's - as I had studied. So I did the graduate programme as a Department Manager, but then quickly came out of stores to become the Project Manager to the (then) Director of Stores for the North (so I've come full circle for PM to the DOS, to being the DOS!) and then a Deputy Store Manager in our biggest Scottish store, Store Manager (including moving to Northern Ireland during covid!) and then becoming Regional Stores Director of the East of Scotland in Feb 2024 before having the privilege of becoming Director of Stores for the North Zone this March.

Can you share a highlight of your career?

My highlight was this year, promoting to Deputy Store Manager - two fantastic female leaders. This was a first for the region to have any female deputies! This alongside a female mentoring circle we ran for the first time was a highlight. My role is to make it possible for others!

What's been something totally unexpected about your career?

I didn't expect the pace at which I would accelerate from being a Store Manager to becoming Director of Store. The belief that the Sainsbury's team had in me and supported me on my journey helped me to believe it was possible!

How have you overcome barriers?

I've always come back to, you need to believe in yourself first and foremost - having people you trust you can confide in and work through the issue, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask the questions about the barrier you're facing and believe it can be overcome.

How do you lead with authenticity?

I spent my earlier years comparing myself endlessly to others. Now I only compare myself to myself, and try and be the best version of me I can. I'm a person who is positive, relentlessly energetic and I believe you can be infectious if you're yourself. So, I think I've learnt that you can only truly succeed if you can look in the mirror every day and know you that you did it your way.

How have you owned your development throughout your career?

I love to learn, always have, so I've owned development simply by always thinking that I've got things to learn - on topics, from people in different parts of the business. I've benefitted from mentoring circles, structured development programmes, mentors, coaches but also just from spending time with such a diverse range of colleagues and leaders across our business that you can learn from every day.

What are some of the challenges you've faced in owning your career development?

When you're under pressure, the first thing to drop is to focus on yourself and that can sometimes include development. So, how I prioritise and notice where I'm not focussing on myself enough is really important.

How do you plan to continue owning your development?

I ask myself every week 'what have I learnt this week' and 'who did I learn from?' That keeps me really accountable!

How has Sainsbury's empowered you to own your development and build a meaningful career?

Sainsbury's has offered such a range of opportunities to learn and grow - I've benefitted from the first ever female mentoring circle our business ran and then I've done that in my roles for others; structured development cohorts; mentoring, coaching and learning through experience and others. I've seen fantastic role models who've made me feel like anything is possible!

What are you most proud of achieving during your time here so far?

I'm really proud that I've been able to show that a career path doesn't need to have a specific time limit or 'hoops' you need to jump through. So, I'm proud I've achieved what I have, but more proud that I've had so many people say to me 'it's amazing when you see someone you know achieve it' - then, I can help others succeed.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

5 Seconds of Bravery (it's in the film 'We Bought a Zoo') but a trusted colleague once said to me 'all you need is 5 seconds of bravery to say yes, I can do it and say yes to something that'll stretch and grow me'. So, now when I'm scared I think of 5 seconds of bravery!