SAN ANTONIO -- Kim Lubel, chairman, CEO and president of convenience retailer CST Brands Inc. has been named one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Based in San Antonio, CST Brands is a convenience-store retailer with 1,900 locations in the United States and Canada and $10.8 billion in revenue in 2014. CST also owns the general partner of CrossAmerica Partners LP, a wholesale distributor of fuels, which distributes fuel to over 1,100 locations across 23 states.
“It’s such an honor to be included in this list with inspirational women like Mary Barra at General Motors, Indra Nooyi at PepsiCo and megastar Taylor Swift,” Lubel said. “It’s also an honor and a privilege to lead our incredible 13,500 team members as we grow and strengthen CST Brands.”
Lubel was first named to the Fortune list in 2013, the year that CST Brands spun off of Valero into a standalone company with Lubel at the helm. Since then, Lubel has led transformational growth at CST, including the strategy to acquire the general partnership of Cross America Partners LP, as well as expanding the network of stores through new store construction and acquisitions across the country.
This year, CST plans to build nearly 50 new convenience stores in North America from the ground up, allowing for larger, more spacious interiors with award-winning interior design and a larger selection of hot and cold food and beverages.
Creating a retail culture across the entire organization is a priority for Lubel. This year, she instilled four new core values at CST: innovation, strategic thinking, entrepreneurial spirit and servant leadership. At CST, all executives and office employees are required to work in the stores for at least two days a year through a program Lubel calls “Corner Store Time.” On her Corner Store Time days, Lubel can be found helping to bake whoopie pies, taking out the trash or refilling the coffee urns in an effort to better understand the day-to-day tasks of store employees.
“A servant leader serves first and then leads,” Lubel said. “It’s not just about being ‘nice’ but about motivating and inspiring employees to reach further than they thought possible."
Lubel has also made community service a priority for CST, raising millions for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2014, Lubel initiated a signature fundraising event for CST, the Corner Store Country Run 5K. The series raised $1 million for Big Brothers Big Sisters and local children's charities in 2014 with eight races and has expanded to 10 cities in 2015. CST was selected as the Big Brothers Big Sisters 2015 Community Impact Award winner, recognition for a valued partner that unites their network to make a big impact for mentors and mentees.
A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Lubel spent over 15 years at Valero prior to taking on her role at CST. She serves on the board of directors of Tulsa-based WPX Energy Inc. Since 2009, Lubel has served on the San Antonio & Bexar County United Way. She also serves as co-chair of Go Public, a collaborative campaign among Bexar County’s 16 public school districts to rally for the importance of a strong public education system.
CST Brands Inc., a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest independent retailers of motor fuels and convenience merchandise in North America. Based in San Antonio, CST employs 13,500 team members at approximately 1,900 convenience-store locations throughout the Southwestern United States, New York and Eastern Canada.
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