2025 Star Women in Convenience winner: Véronique Lemieux

Véronique Lemieux    

General Manager | Part Owner                

Groupe Beauséjour

How did you get into this business? 

I started in 2013 with the mandate to create the HR department. Having substantial retail experience, I also got involved in operations. This allowed me to deepen my convenience store and gas knowledge. Since then, I’ve actively helped expand the company as General Manager.

What do you like most about your job?

No two days are alike! I appreciate always being on the lookout and being creative to keep our cleanliness and customer service standards at the highest level to ensure we achieve our objectives. I take pleasure in being a mentor every day.

What was the biggest challenge or your career? What did you learn? 

I take great pride in the rapid growth in terms of the number of stores while keeping our high-quality standards—this while also navigating the pandemic and the ongoing labour shortage in our industry and staying true to our values and keeping our stores open 24/7. I’m grateful for the chance to mentor young talent and seeing them evolve. I’ve learned so much throughout my career and I continue to learn and finetune my skills.

What's the best advice you ever received? 

Throughout my journey, I’ve received excellent advice! Some key advice includes adaptability, keeping an open mind, and above all to question yourself doesn’t mean a lack of confidence!

What's your career highlight/biggest achievement so far? 

Having had the chance to become a shareholder—which is close to my heart—as well as seeing the fruit of being a supportive mentor and seeing many collaborators’ careers take off. I look forward to acquiring new projects.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

Innovation such as artificial intelligence and automation, and the creativity in our offerings including superior quality food, hybrid c-stores and specialty products.

How do you define yourself as a leader?

I attach great importance to clear and empathetic communication, having an open mind, being supportive to encourage talent synergy, being adaptable and having emotional intelligence. I’m a collaborative leader, which aligns well with the organization’s values. I like to focus on training, mentoring and collective intelligence.