2023 Star Women in Convenience winner: Simran Kaur

Senior finance director 

Canco Petroleum Ltd.

 

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

With COVID, the world immediately had to adapt to a new working environment. That meant the need for innovative measures to allow for the seamless flow of information. I was able to move most of our accounting process to paperless and invest in software that allowed for remote access and leveraged software to effectively read documents for faster processing.

What do you like most about your job?

No two days are the same. People have a stereotype that accountants love repetitive number-crunching tasks, but as a CPA, I am trained to be a strong strategic partner to drive business forward with full force and provide for a strong business infrastructure that supports multifold growth of the business.

What was the biggest challenge of your career?

I have constantly been blessed to hold managerial positions in industries that have historically been male dominating including mining, farming or petroleum and I believe there is no denying to the fact that as a female leader you have to constantly push the boundaries and make your voice heard. Some might consider this a challenge but for me I see it as a constant opportunity to prove as to why it is important for all industries to have more diversity in their management team. I love going into my job everyday knowing that I receive an equal say on the table as diversity is an important core value at Canco Petroleum.

Is there anything you think will shape the business in the next five years?

After a really long time, there is an absolute need to innovate. With changing customer dynamics and with the introduction of alternate power sources, it will be interesting to see what innovative route the industry takes to attract and more importantly retain customers and make a niche offering of the convenience in a true sense.