2026 Star Women in Convenience winner: Lorraine Aqui-John

Lorraine Aqui-John

Marketing operations analyst, convenience marketing

Canadian Tire Gas+, Canadian Tire Corporation

What are you most proud of during the last 12 to 18 months? 

The role I’ve played in supporting the Petro-Canada partnership with Canadian Tire Petroleum through pricebook. I’ve helped ensure pricing and taxes are set up accurately and issues are resolved quickly, knowing how directly this impacts store operations and the overall partner experience. I’ve also supported onboarding and helped bring more structure and clarity to the pricebook processes, which has made it easier to maintain consistency across both organizations. Through this, I’ve built strong working relationships with both internal teams and Petro-Canada, allowing for better collaboration and faster issue resolution. Overall, I am proud of how I’ve grown into a reliable point of support and contributed to strengthening the partnership through accurate execution and improved ways of working.

What do you like most about your job? 

The fabulous team I work with. We’re very collaborative and supportive and everyone is always willing to help each other out. It makes a big difference especially when we are working through complex or time-sensitive issues.

What’s the best career advice you’ve received? 

Stay open to learning and not be afraid to ask questions. It helped me realize that asking for clarity early on saves time and leads to better outcomes. It’s also helped me build stronger relationships with different teams because it encourages collaboration and shared understanding. Over time, it has made me more confident and effective in my work.

Career highlight? 

Being recognized as a 2026 Star Women in Convenience winner. It was honestly a very meaningful and humbling moment for me. It means a lot because it reflects the journey I’ve been on. Learning, growing and building confidence in a space that can be complex and fast-paced. There were times where I didn’t fully realize what I was capable of, so to be recognized at this level felt very rewarding. The support from my team and the collaboration across groups have played a big part in helping me get here. Overall, it’s something I am really proud of, not just as an achievement but as a reminder of how much I’ve grown and what I’m capable of moving forward.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? 

Seeing how the convenience channel keeps growing and adapting. It’s moving beyond just quick stops and becoming more focused on quality, variety and the overall customer experience. There is a lot of positive change happening and it’s exciting to be part of something that’s constantly evolving and improving.