2023 Impact Awards winner: Alimentation Couche-Tard I Circle K

In January 2023, Couche-Tard and HEC Montreal, a world-class university that attracts students worldwide, announced it had joined forces to offer a personalized management microprogram for Quebec employees of the Canadian company. Aimed at helping its managers acquire new managerial skills and advance their careers, the two-year program has been tailored to meet the company's training needs, offering five courses in the areas of management, marketing and accounting. To help offset the cost of education, an estimated 500 scholarships will be awarded, granting up to $1,250 per semester.

“The Couche-Tard/Circle K Scholarship Program is designed to inspire and support our people and the next generation of students across Canada, to continue their educational journey,” says Solange Gauthier, director of human resources at ACT. “Our promise to our teams is to grow with us.”

The program is already seeing good results. About 95% of the participants in the first cohort have successfully completed the first of four courses and will begin their second semester this September. In this group of store managers and market managers, 98% are still working in influential roles and three have received a promotion since their university journey started.

Couche-Tard is renewing this program for the start of the new school year, enabling 70 new students to be part of this class act.