7-Eleven Australia tech leader moves on

7-Eleven Australia’s general manager of strategy and technology, Stephen Eyears, has left the organisation, coinciding with a change to its “support office structure”.

Eyears was with the organisation for close to a decade, first joining as general manager of strategy, innovation and business development back in 2014.

“I am proud and grateful to have been part of an organisation that grew its entrepreneurial spirit, invested ahead of the curve, and was always ready to test new things and ways of working,” Eyears wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

“It’s absolutely time for something new and I am energised by the options that lay ahead.”

A 7-Eleven Australia spokesperson told Digital Nation that it had “evolved” its “support office structure to better align with our long-term priorities.”

“This has included changes to strengthen how we organise our work, invest in our capabilities, and ultimately deliver even more choice and convenience to our customers,” the spokesperson said.

“This activity was focused on our support office teams and has not impacted our stores or broader network.”

The spokesperson added Eyears “recently departed 7-Eleven after a long and impactful tenure”.

“[Eyears] made an extraordinary contribution to our business and brand, helping shape our strategy and leading major digital transformation initiatives.

“His leadership, curiosity, and commitment have left a lasting mark on our business and we’re incredibly grateful for the energy and vision he brought to 7-Eleven,” the spokesperson added.

During his time with 7-Eleven Australia, Eyears worked on the deployment a computer vision-based system in stores and the introduction of mobile payments in 2021.

Back in 2020, Eyears also assisted with 7-Eleven Australia’s SAP re-platforming work onto Azure as part of a digital transformation project.

Before 7-Eleven Australia, Eyears spent roughly 10 years at Telstra, most notably as director of retail and Telstra countrywide operations.