2022 Star Women in Convenience winner: Beverley Mawby

National account executive

Great Canadian Meat Company

What do you like most about your job?

I love the fast pace of the convenience industry.  Every day things change, challenges and opportunities come up, and no day is the same.  It is a challenging job, but I have a great team in the office and also with our distributors and salespeople, who are out on the road selling every day for GCMC. I also enjoy working with many retailers and head offices across Canada and building relationships with buyers and category managers. They all teach me new things about the convenience/direct store delivery channel every day.

What was the biggest challenge of your career?

When I got into sales and the world of the CPG industry in the late '80s, there weren’t a lot of women in this industry, and that amounted to obstacles to overcome.  In hindsight, these obstacles and the lessons I learned proved to be invaluable to my career success. 

What’s the best advice you ever received?

My Grade 9 math teacher told me, “Never to be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help.”  I remember to this day standing outside his classroom after school finished for what seemed like hours.  I took a deep breath and walked into his classroom.  Years later I ran into him on the street and was able to thank him. I don’t think he realized how much he affected my life.

What's your career highlight or proudest achievement?

At the large grocery company where I was the export manager, I discovered and solidified a large sale in conjunction with a Canadian government to an Eastern European government aid package to supply baby food to their country.  It took a long 2.5 years to finalize the deal and lots of hard work, teamwork, and assistance from many other people and departments in the company.  It was personally satisfying to be involved with this aid project.

What are you most proud of during the last year?

Being able to navigate and handle the many COVID crises that arose daily.  The advantages of working for a family-owned company enables me to work with the executive team in leading the charge of continuing to grow the Great Canadian Meat Brand of products across Canada.

By being tenacious, opening up new avenues for our brand, working with retailers, building relationships, and continuing in growth mode with existing customers, even during these challenging times over the last two years, the strength of our Great Canadian Meat products continues to flourish.

How do you define yourself as a leader?

I am results oriented, client focused, and like to be proactive.  I embrace new challenges and try to always be prepared. I also recognize what I don’t know and am always willing to learn and listen.