2024 Star Women in Convenience winner: Kati Varela

Category manager beverages 

Shell Canada

How did you get into this business?

I started out working for one of the biggest beverage companies and spent eight years learning all about the beverage industry, while supporting customers from different channels, including convenience and gas, foodservice etc.

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

I am proud of all the work that we have done to develop and launch our private label beverage offer. This has been an exciting and challenging journey that continues to deliver great results.  

What do you like most about your job?

My role is very dynamic. We are part of an evolving channel. I especially enjoy creating and testing new programs that deliver a better customer experience. Lastly and most importantly, I enjoy working with a very talented and passionate convenience and retail team.

Career highlight/biggest achievement?
One of my biggest achievements has been to successfully build a career after moving from my native country, Venezuela, to Canada 11 years ago. This required hard work and dedication as I needed to adapt to a new country and ways to do business. This experience allowed me to be more open to opportunities that I didn’t have previous experience of and use my skill sets differently.

How do you define yourself as a leader?

I consider myself very passionate, empathic, and eager to learn. These attributes reflect the way I lead and work with co-workers and vendors.