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Meet the 2018 Top Women in Convenience

8/17/2018

NATIONAL REPORT — 2018 has been heralded as The Year of the Woman. From women’s marches taking place in cities across the nation, to the #MeToo movement, to the hundreds of women running for major political offices this year, it appears The Golden Age of Women has arrived.

With this backdrop, Convenience Store News honors its fifth class of Top Women in Convenience (TWIC), an exceptional group of 45 female leaders who are making their mark on the industry. TWIC is the first and only convenience store industry awards program that recognizes women for outstanding contributions to their companies and the industry overall.

Over the past five years, the Top Women in Convenience program has recognized 200 of the best and brightest. TWIC honorees encompass a diverse array of women in the industry, serving in a variety of job roles. This year’s award categories include:

  • Women of the Year
  • Senior-Level Leaders
  • Rising Stars
  • Mentors

CSNews, with the help of the Network of Executive Women (NEW) and the 2018 Top Women in Convenience Advisory Board (which includes all five 2017 Women of the Year honorees), winnowed this year's nominations down to the finest female executives, managers and up-and-comers working for convenience store industry retailers, distributors and suppliers.

The judging panel ultimately selected five Women of the Year, 15 Senior-Level Leaders, 20 Rising Stars and five Mentors to be inducted into the 2018 TWIC class.

The honorees were chosen based on nominations received from their peers. Drawing from achievements during the previous 12 months, nominators were asked to illustrate the candidate's innovative corporate initiatives, extraordinary financial and strategic accomplishments, astute problem-solving acumen, exceptional performance, and selfless charitable participation, along with other attributes that go above and beyond the call of duty.

All of the 2018 honorees will be celebrated at an awards gala on Wednesday, Oct. 8, taking place around the 2018 NACS Show, the largest annual gathering of the convenience store industry. The gala will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center. War hero and two-time Paralympian Melissa Stockwell will keynote the event.

Here are spotlights on this year's winners:

  • WOMEN OF THE YEAR

    Recognized for their exceptional impact on the success or direction of their company, as well as their positive impact on the convenience store industry as a whole.

    Line Aarnes

    Vice President, Global Marketing, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc./Circle K

    Laura Aufleger

    Vice President, Corporate Communications, OnCue Marketing

    Dawn Gillis

    Senior Director, Acquisition Integration – Tech Services, 7-Eleven Inc.

    Missy MatThews

    President, Childers Oil Co./Double Kwik

    Maura Scott

    Vice President, Sales, Northeast, Altria Group Distribution Co.

     

  • Senior-Level Leaders

    Retailer, supplier and wholesaler executives who have executed on a strategy and transformed their business in a positive manner. 

  • RISING STARS

    Women with job titles from store manager to just below vice president who are making their mark on the c-store industry even in the early stages of their careers.

  • MENTORS

    Women who have made an extraordinary effort, and had an extraordinary impact, on the careers of their colleagues.

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