Only 26% of c-suite leaders in the United States and Canada are women, according to a Women in the Workplace report from Palo Alto, California-based Lean In. That could be changing, though, as top companies, including convenience stores, place more of an emphasis on diversity in leadership.
For example, for the first time in its 68-year history, the Fortune 500 list’s share of companies led by female CEOs reached 10%, the magazine reported in January. While the list spans many industries, several convenience-store chains are included: Murphy USA, Casey’s General Stores and Global Partners among them.
Men visit c-stores more frequently than women, according to data from CSP’s sister research firm Technomic, Chicago, but about 53% of women visit c-stores once a week and 80% visit once a month, Technomic found. However, the people running c-store chains are primarily men.
The industry has started to make efforts to shift. For example, Casey’s, Ankeny, Iowa, has been recognized for having a gender-balanced board by 50/50 Women on Boards. And Women in Governance awarded Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc./Circle K with a bronze-level Parity Certification for its progress toward gender parity in the workplace.
CSP spoke to some of the women in the c-store industry who are making changes.
Natalie Morhous of RaceTrac Inc. and Mary McPherson of TravelCenters of America are two women who have made it to the c-suite and executive levels. They shared with CSP highlights of their careers and advice for other female leaders. Experts from Meta and Leading Now also gave tips on where companies can start.
RaceTrac’s Morhous Emphasizes Importance of Mentorship
Natalie Morhous is a third-generation leader of RaceTrac Inc. With more than 550 convenience stores, the Atlanta-based chain ranks No. 15 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 list of top c-store chains by U.S. store count. She worked her way up to the position, beginning her career as a consultant with SRA Touchstone Consulting Group and Acquisition Solutions Inc., obtaining her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and working with RaceTrac’s trucking company Energy Dispatch before taking on her current role as president.
Yet, she’s often the only female and the youngest person at the table—two facts that regularly lead to imposter syndrome—or feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success— and an overwhelming desire to prove herself, Morhous said.
These challenges are typical for any woman, she said. There are more male than female leaders in the c-store industry for the same reason that there are more males than females in most industries—history and culture, Morhous said.
“Historically, more women opt out of the workforce than men, which is a trend that has only been exacerbated since COVID,” she said. “Additionally, one subtle reason could be related to the importance of relationships in business. Whether it’s intentional or not, oftentimes people feel more comfortable building relationships with others they perceive to be like them. So if a company starts with more men to begin with, those men tend to build relationships with other men.”
- RaceTrac is No. 15 onthe 2023 Top 40 update of CSP’s 2022 Top 202 list ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
This doesn’t only impede gender diversity, but racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic diversity, among others, as well, she said.
One antidote that Morhous suggests for insular or “like me” relationships: mentorship. Mentorship is critical to the future of women in business, Morhous said, including women mentoring women and men mentoring women.
“As women advance in their careers, it is critical that we recognize the importance of owning our own development by seeking out mentors and building relationships ourselves,” she said.
Having female leadership is important because women are smart: “Why would you want to miss out on 50% of the population when accounting for executive talent?” she asks. And diversity helps organizations gain perspective and make better decisions, and with perspective comes value.
“Organizations will undoubtedly benefit from the female perspective as it relates to programs that affect both employees and guests,” Morhous said.
RaceTrac puts this into practice. One-third of its executive leadership team members are women, Morhous said. The company also has a business resource group focused on women in the workforce, started in 2014, called LEAD: Link, Empower, Achieve and Develop. Finally, Morhous said RaceTrac sends women to empowering events where they can be lifted up and meet other driven women like themselves.
At the end of the day, Morhous said she doesn’t overcome her imposter syndrome, she just pushes through it, reframing what she calls her kryptonite into a secret weapon.
“Imposter syndrome drives me to be prepared, encourages me to trust the experience and opinions of others and allows me to relate to so many others who may feel different or experience self-doubt as they navigate their careers. These tendencies have helped mold me into the leader I am today, and, for that, I am grateful,” she said.
TA’s McPherson on Producing Results in a Male-Dominated Field
Mary McPherson has spent her entire career with TravelCenters of America, starting 35 years ago as a teenager working in the deli serving ice cream and selling merchandise. Today, she is the vice president of special amenities. McPherson’s strong will and passion to always do the right thing helped her advance in her career, she said, along with her sacrifices to become a leader in the industry (she’s moved 13 times during her TA tenure).
“I have had excellent mentors—both men and women—who helped me navigate through a variety of experiences and even some hurdles, but I refused to let the fact that I was working in an industry that historically had been heavily male-oriented stop me from success,” McPherson said. “I always had the mindset that women also can lead people and provide positive influence, while producing results.”
Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America LLC has 276 locations under the TA and TA Express brands. The sites are more than c-stores, she said, adding that the travel centers have truck maintenance and repair, full-service restaurants and a variety of amenities and services. The trucking profession in general has more males than females—women make up only about 14% of truck drivers, according to the Women in Trucking Index, McPherson said. That doesn’t stop her confidence, though.
“As a female leader in this space, I have to always believe my viewpoint and opinion matters,” she said. “Even though I may not have the same skills as the techs who are fixing trucks every day or the heroic professional drivers who deliver goods across the country, I have the experience, knowledge, confidence and business acumen to be a leader in this industry.”
- TravelCenters of America is No. 29 on CSP’s Top 40 update to the 2022 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by company-owned store count. Watch for the updated list in June.
Women can bring a variety of skills to any company, especially empathy and influence, McPherson said. It’s important for young women to see themselves at the c-suite level and know there is opportunity. Businesses should invest in female leadership for diversity of thought and for the future success of America’s youth, she said.
TA is hyper-focused and deliberate in its efforts to recruit more women and diverse talent and to develop its emerging female leaders within the organization, McPherson said. The company is led in this area by its diversity statement, which reads:
“Our travel centers serve thousands every day; not one traveler is the same and our team must reflect that. We can ‘return every traveler to the road better than they came’ only by understanding and celebrating individualism. We commit ourselves to equality and inclusion across: race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, age, disability, handicap or veteran status.”
To future leaders, McPherson said: “Don’t give up on your career development; own your mistakes and failures and learn from them. I believe that asking for guidance is not a weakness, it’s a strength. Stand up tall and be proud of the talent you bring to your team.”