Convenience-store company Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has been awarded bronze-level Parity Certification by Women in Governance for its progress towards gender parity in the workplace.
Women in Governance’s Parity Certification helps organizations increase the representation of women in sectors where they have historically been underrepresented and in senior management positions. This certification evaluates parity at an organization’s decision-making level as well as at every level, paying attention to the multiple effects of diversity in women’s career advancement. The certification also assesses the organization’s commitment to implementing processes that enable women to achieve that career advancement, creating a pipeline of diverse female talent.
“We are proud to be receiving this certification as it is a testament to the values we live by and signals we are moving in the right direction towards gender parity. Our team at Couche-Tard is committed to fostering a culture that provides an environment for women to fully participate and grow in their careers as well as advancing equality between women and men in the workplace,” said Suzanne Poirier, senior vice president of operations at Couche-Tard.
- Click here for details on Winsight's C-Store Women’s Event (CSW)in Napa Valley, Calif., Nov. 8-10, 2023.
“At Couche-Tard, diversity and inclusion is a strong pillar of our sustainability strategy and the winning culture we strive daily to protect and promote,” said Ina Strand, chief people officer at Couche-Tard. “We know we have more work to do, and we will use the feedback we receive to continue on our journey of creating an environment where all our people can excel, grow and bring their authentic selves to work.”
As part of its and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) journey, Couche-Tard has launched several business resource groups, beginning with the Women’s Council, to support underrepresented team members. It has also developed and participated in talent programs to create pipelines for advancement including leadership development courses and mentorship programs dedicated to accelerating and developing minority team members. These efforts and more have resulted in true progress in more equitable gender representation, opportunities and pay across all parts of the company from store to senior management levels.
- Click here to read CSP's August 2021 cover feature, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Starting the Conversation.
Quebec-based Women in Governance is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 to support women in their career advancement and access to decision-making bodies, as well as organizations striving to close the gender gap in the workplace. The organization pursues its mission with its Parity Certification, inspiring events, as well as governance training and mentoring programs.
Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard is No. 2 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Its 24-country network includes more than 7,100 in the United States, primarily under the Circle K and Holiday Stationstores banners, and approximately 2,100 in Canada under the Circle K, Mac’s and Couche-Tard banners. In Europe, under the Circle K and other banners, Couche-Tard operates a retail network in Scandinavia, Ireland, Poland, the Baltics and Russia with more than 2,700 stores and unmanned automated fuel stations. And under licensing agreements, more than 2,200 stores operate under the Circle K banner in 15 other countries and territories (Cambodia, Egypt, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Macau, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam). This brings Couche-Tard’s total worldwide network to approximately 14,300 mostly Circle K-branded stores.
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