2025 Star Women in Convenience winner: Lee-Anne Donovan

Lee-Anne Donovan    

District Manager           

Circle K | Alimentation Couche-Tard                

How did you get into this business? 

It was 2009. A friend called. She was working for the company and found herself short staffed. She asked if I could work a few weekends. I loved it.

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

Figuring out how to get to know my people. I’m only two weeks into my new role but knowing the people who work here goes hand in hand with my job. Developing a cohesive team is essential.

What is the biggest challenge of your job?

Finding the right people—people who are willing to jump in and be part of a team. They are out there, and it is a skill being able to identify them.

What's your career highlight/biggest achievement?  

This is a new role for me, but I was recently at a new store. I wanted to meet everyone, and I was working away at a table in the corner. A waitress came over to me to let me know I was the first person to do this. To me, it wasn’t doing anything special, but it made an impact.

What excites you most about the future?  

It’s going to be about creating an atmosphere where people want to come to work. I really don’t think this will be hard. It will just take time.