Olga Zanetti knows how to lead with impact. After two decades at industry giants like L’Oréal and Coles, she’s taken the reins at SodaStream Australia, bringing her strategic mind—and deep care for purpose-led growth—to a brand that’s redefining how Australians hydrate. In this interview, Olga reflects on why she joined SodaStream during a pivotal chapter, how she blends performance with values, and the importance of showing up fully—both at work and at home.
You’ve joined SodaStream at a moment of major growth and renewed focus on sustainability. What inspired you to take on this role, and how are you approaching this new chapter of leadership?
Joining SodaStream at this exciting time of growth and ongoing commitment to sustainability was both a professional and personal decision. I have always admired the brand—not just for its innovation and environmental mission, but for the way it empowers consumers to make healthier, more sustainable choices every day. SodaStream makes drinking water more enjoyable, turning hydration into something fun and personalised. That connection between sustainability, health, and enjoyment really resonated with me.
As consumers increasingly seek “better-for-you” options, SodaStream is uniquely positioned at the intersection of wellness, convenience, and environmental responsibility. We offer a real alternative to every day beverages and single-use plastic bottles—helping people hydrate more, waste less, and enjoy the experience.
In this new chapter of leadership, my focus is on scaling that impact through our ongoing commitment of helping our consumers drink better, through innovation, and a company culture that’s agile and purpose-driven. We’re not just growing—we’re growing with intention, ensuring that everything we do supports our mission to help people drink better, live better, and contribute to a better planet.
With over two decades at L’Oréal and Coles, what lessons have shaped your leadership style, especially when it comes to building high-performing, values-driven teams?
Over the course of my career at L’Oréal and Coles, I’ve been fortunate to experience two different but equally formative environments. At L’Oréal, I was deeply influenced by the entrepreneurial spirit that runs through the company—an emphasis on creativity, bold thinking, and moving fast to seize opportunities. It taught me how to stay close to the consumer, take calculated risks, and constantly push boundaries. That mindset of innovation and agility has stayed with me.
At Coles, I learned the power of operational rigour—how to build strong processes, make data-backed decisions, and drive large-scale impact with precision. It’s where I really sharpened my focus on operational excellence, accountability, performance, and collaboration at scale all whilst keeping customers at the centre.
These experiences shaped a leadership style for me that is all about a “one team” mindset—where trust, open communication, and shared purpose drive performance. I believe in failing fast, learning faster, and always operating with a growth mindset. And just as importantly, I believe great teams should have fun, support one another, and work with the best of intentions. That’s the kind of culture I strive to build every day.
SodaStream has a strong track record in sustainability. How are you thinking about the next phase of impact, both in terms of reducing single-use plastic and deepening community partnerships?
Sustainability has always been inherent in the SodaStream system, and we communicate our mission to ‘change the way the world drinks’ through our partnerships, through our campaigns around Earth Day, through our initiatives with our trade partners, and through our community involvement.
SodaStream has had a strong, long-standing partnership with Clean Up Australia. We are now in our 9th year working together, after forming a relationship back in 2017. For us, the partnership has been a natural fit and makes sense for so many reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, we have shared values, with sustainability at the forefront of our mission. We both strive to empower people to make positive choices every day, to help keep our planet healthy and clean for everyone to enjoy.
Together with Clean Up Australia, we champion a simple yet powerful concept, to replace single use plastic, advocating to opt for reusable alternatives, like SodaStream.
Our entire SodaStream ecosystem has been built with sustainability in mind – focused on replacing and reusing:
One SodaStream alone replaces over a thousand single use plastic bottles*
Our CO2 Cylinders are reused over and over again. Once empty they are returned to our filling station where they are cleaned, refilled, tested and sent back out for use.
Our flavour bottles are made from rPET and all of our packaging is recyclable.
And we work closely with Clean Up Australia to encourage Australians to make the switch to these more sustainable solutions.
We will continue leading the market with innovation that better enhances the user experience, as we have always done, but we are also constantly exploring new ways to replace single use plastics and for alternative, more sustainable materials in the production of our products and packaging – such as glass, metal and recycled plastics.
*estimate based on the average usage of a SodaStream ecosystem over the lifespan of a 5 year period.
What are some of the biggest shifts you’re seeing in consumer behaviour across the beverage and home carbonation space, and how is SodaStream adapting to meet those changes?
There is a continued consumer shift to healthier beverages and demand for low sugar and low calorie flavour options, including in the home carbonation space. While SodaStream has always offered a range of low or no sugar soda mixers, we continue to expand our range, catering to local flavour profiles we know Australian’s love, including our recently launched SodaStream Classics Passionfruit soda mix, which is 99% sugar free, and extending our Pepsi Max Zero Sugar range, to include both Vanilla and Mango variants.
We know most Australians want to live more sustainable lifestyles and carrying a reusable water bottle is a daily ritual for many, treating their bottles like essential accessories. However, what we’ve found, and it’s no surprise, is that consumers will often turn to ‘ready to drink’ carbonated soft drinks packaged in single use bottles when they’re out and about, for convenience, despite their desire to contribute to a healthier planet. So, earlier this year, we launched our biggest innovation in the carbonating bottle category, our new Fizz & Go Stainless Steel bottles! This new range allows our users to enjoy their personalised SodaStream carbonated beverages at home and on the go, in dual wall, stainless steel bottles, designed to keep drinks fizzy and cold for hours. The bottles fit seamlessly into our latest range of Sparkling Water Makers for easy carbonation and have an airtight cap to prevent leaks.
How do you personally manage your time and focus across big-picture strategy and the daily responsibilities that come with running a national business?
I strongly believe that balancing big-picture strategy with day-to-day execution is one of the most important responsibilities for a leader. I generally approach it with a clear to do list, clear priorities, strong delegation and empowerment of my team, and disciplined time management, saying that it doesn’t always go as smoothly as planned.
I generally make space in my week for strategic thinking by blocking dedicated time for reflection, and future-focused planning. At the same time, I stay close to the business by being present with my team, reviewing performance metrics, and listening to what’s happening on the ground.
Surrounding myself with a capable, empowered team is key. I trust them to own the detail so I can focus on enabling the bigger picture—setting clear direction, removing roadblocks, and ensuring alignment. I also believe in being deliberate about where I add the most value and saying no to the distractions that don’t serve the wider mission.
It’s ultimately about continuous focus—knowing when to zoom out and when to lean in—while staying true to our purpose and goals.
What does work-life balance look like for you in this season of your career, and are there any routines or boundaries that help you stay grounded and focused?
I don’t think of it as work-life balance so much as a work-life blend—especially in a global organisation with reporting lines on the other side of the globe, where calls can come at any hour. The reality is, the lines blur, and I’ve learned to embrace that fluidity while being clear about what truly matters.
My family is my top priority. I have two school-age kids—teenagers—who might not always say it, but they need me now more than ever. So being present for key moments— be it footy finals, school assemblies, cross-country regionals, or even just helping with homework—is non-negotiable. Those moments don’t come back, and I won’t miss them.
At the same time, I’m fully committed to my team and my role. I make it a point to be accessible, responsive, and present, whenever they need me, as much as I can, which means very much outside the standard 9–5. Though I am not sure if 9-5 even exists any more. For me, it’s about being intentional: knowing when to lean into work, when to lean into home life, and building a rhythm that allows me to show up fully in both spaces. It’s not always perfect, but it seems to be working and it is certainly grounded in purpose and the things that matter most.
