2023 Star Women in Convenience winner: Cristina Caruso

Category portfolio manager | Car wash

Petro-Canada | Suncor

What's your career highlight/biggest achievement?

Successfully navigating different roles and working with different people. I think in terms of the team. Maintaining relationships is important to me.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

There will continue to be a demand for convenience. This channel is changing from being functional to providing consumers with an experience. What’s really exciting is being able to focus on enhancing and elevating that experience.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months?

This past year we hit key milestones—strategic and financial targets—we’ve had on our radar for a number of years and seemed unattainable. This was absolutely a team effort. We work together to get results. We also rely on our vendor community to get ideas and feedback.

What do you like most about your job?

I love category management. I get to collaborate and interact with a terrific group of people. We’re focused and willing to take risks. There is also an opportunity in this role to help shape and grow a business. You get to put something out into the market and see it grow in real time.