20 Questions With Yasemin Akcakaya, Former VP of Marketing, Acquisition, Retention, Martech, and Analytics, Jackson Hewitt

Yasemin Akcakaya is the former vice president of marketing, acquisition, retention, martech, and analytics for Jackson Hewitt. She’s also a Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) member! In this member spotlight, we asked her a series of questions about both her professional role and personal life, including the woman that inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more.

1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
“Range” by David Epstein. It reminded me that breadth isn’t a distraction, it’s an advantage. I’ve worked in retail, finance, hospitality, and logistics, and each of these sharpened a different muscle and made me a stronger, more adaptable leader.

2. What’s a tip you have for productively leading a remote or hybrid team?
Make connection valuable. Any Zoom or in-person time should focus on the things we can’t do alone such as alignment, decision-making, problem-solving, and building trust. Everything else can be handled in quieter working time so our time together truly moves the work forward.

3. What’s a mistake you made early on in your career?
Underestimating the power of intuition. I tried to make my choices based on what’s perceived as “right,” but the best outcomes always came when I trusted my instincts, my inner voice.

4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
Holding the space between pressure and possibility. You have to keep the team focused, confident, and moving forward even when the environment is shifting around you.

5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
The same way I’m motivated: by delivering on a purpose, overcoming meaningful challenges, and continuously growing.

6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
Many women inspire me, starting with my mom. Recently I’m impressed by Reese Witherspoon, for her courage to pivot, build and scale something entirely new. Her transition into entrepreneurship shows what’s possible when you trust your instincts and bet on yourself.

7. What are you looking forward to the most for the industry over the next year?
In 2026, retailers will have to rethink what they sell, how people shop, and why stores exist at all — and artificial intelligence will be at the center of that shift. Customers want relevance and simplicity. The companies that use AI to remove friction and design for real needs will lead.

8. What’s one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?
Passion that’s rooted in kindness and curiosity, people who find joy in solving problems and bring positive, constructive energy into the work.

9.What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
That you really can move from strength to strength. The skills and drive that defined my 20s and 30s aren’t the same ones I need now and that’s a good thing. This past year taught me to shift from chasing volume to creating impact, from proving myself to expressing myself, and from relying on old strengths to developing new ones that feel more aligned, more grounded, and more meaningful.

10. What’s your favorite podcast?
Aspire with Emma Grede. She’s direct, inspiring and unafraid to talk about the real work behind building a brand and a career.

11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
Kindness, integrity and drive — the values that turn a team into a community and the work into something people are proud of.

12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
My nine-year-old son is my anchor, my motivation, and the reason I stay grounded no matter what.

13. What practices or boundaries have you implemented in your personal life to create more work/life balance?
Balance is a series of daily trade-offs. As long as I stay focused on the right things and present in whatever I’m doing, I’m able to show up well in both places.

14. How would you describe yourself in a single sentence?
I’m a lifelong learner, mom and a mentor guided by kindness, honesty, and a desire to make a positive impact.

15. What’s your favorite app?
Substack. It’s my go-to for fresh ideas, thoughtful writing, and perspectives that make me think differently.

16. What do you do to recharge?
A spa day. Give me yoga, a facial, and a healthy lunch and I’m fully recharged.

17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
My family and my friends.

18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Lead with your humanity. Stay kind, stay curious, and let your empathy be a strength, not something you hide.

19. What gets you up in the morning?
The possibilities in front of me. Every day is an opportunity to make an impact in a way that feels positive and meaningful.

20. What do you like most about being a member of Women in Retail Leadership Circle?
I love being in a community where women lift each other up through real connection.