2021 Star Woman in Convenience winner: Melissa Kwok

Melissa Kwok enjoys a challenge. Last year in the midst of the pandemic she took on an expanded role with Parkland, overseeing marketing for the company’s retail operations, as well as its commercial business.

“Now I look at gas stations and convenience stores in a different way,” says Kwok, who has been with Parkland for seven years.

She leads a team of six, accountable for site-level signage, promotions, tactical market media, grand openings and brand campaigns, as well as digital and social media.

To learn more about Parkland’s retail business, Kwok took the time to walk around On the Run sites. “I wanted a fresh set of eyes and new perspectives,” she says.

Parkland has seven promotional periods a year and more than 1,400 kits are prepared for each period. COVID-19 has changed the way the world looks at c-stores, and Kwok’s team has built on that new vision—and the new reality.

Signs at each pump remind people they can get their essentials inside and SkipTheDishes is now available at participating locations across Canada. “We want traffic coming to our pumps to convert to our c-store,” says Kwok.

Celebrated as a “positive force” at Parkland, she is nimble and quick, approaching the ever-changing industry with a solution-focused mentality that ensures success.