2024 Star Women in Convenience winner: Bonnie Brik

Director of sales, impulse

Ferrero Canada

How did you get into this business?

I was a marketing major, and in fourth year university during my interview with L’Oréal, I froze during the marketing questions and sailed through the selling questions, so my sales career was born. After L’Oréal, I found my home with Ferrero. While my sales roles were focused on GDM where Ferrero is a podium player, the opportunity to work in C&G, where Ferrero is the shortest of the giants, was an exciting and welcome change.

What are you most proud of from the last 12-18 months?

For my first foray into C&G, I knew very little about the channel and nobody knew me. My biggest accomplishment has been stepping out of my comfort zone to actively make new connections and learn from my team and our retail and wholesale partners.

What do you like most about your job?

My team is diverse in work experience and culture—we have seasoned experts and junior stars—and between the seven of us, we speak nine different languages and half of us were not born in Canada. Our diversity creates an environment conducive to learning and growing.

What was the biggest challenge or your career?

With age and experience comes wisdom and confidence. If I could give my younger self advice, I’d tell her to listen more intently, ask for what she wants and needs, and give herself grace.

What's the best advice you ever received?

Not to take things personally. Business is business. We need to separate people from their personas and the jobs they’re paid to do.

What's your career highlight/biggest achievement?

Seeing people who have worked for me succeed in their new roles. Seeing their professional and personal growth and becoming respected leaders in our organization is more rewarding than any customer program or negotiation.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

The constant evolution, reinvention and reincarnation of this channel is astounding. Convenience is driven by desire and perceived value.

What trend or innovation will shape the business in the next 5 years?

Maintaining relevance and value for the customer will be key. While [forecourt] will always be a staple through fuel and/or EV, staying relevant with the backcourt will define the winners and losers in the channel. A clear understanding of the shopper and a strong, well-implemented conversion strategy will be critical to win on both the vendor and retailer sides.

Anything else to add?

I have had the pleasure of interacting with so many smart, strong women at head office and store level that are challenging the status quo. The Star Women in Convenience Awards are another testament to the ever-evolving nature of this channel and being able to keep up if not stay ahead of the times.