• Baylor alum now among Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women

    Kim Lubel

    Thirty years ago, Kim Lubel, MA ’87, chose graduate school at Baylor over joining the CIA. Today, she is CEO, chairman and president of CST Brands — and one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women (again).

    But first, the CIA story. After earning her bachelor’s in Spanish and international studies from Miami of Ohio, Lubel applied to join the CIA. But she never heard back, and when Baylor offered her a full scholarship, she said yes. Shortly before school started, the CIA called with an offer — but she decided to stick with Baylor.

    She earned her master’s in international relations here, then went on to law school at UT. She eventually found her way into Valero’s legal services team, and from there, worked her way up to become CEO of CST Brands when it was spun off from Valero Energy in 2013.

    That was the first time Lubel made Fortune’s top 50 list. Since then, CST Brands has grown to become the second-largest publicly traded fuel and convenience retailer in North America. Those “Corner Stores” you see attached to more than a thousand Valero and Diamond Shamrock stations nationwide? That’s CST. (The company also includes 800+ Ultramar stations across Canada.)

    When asked how her experience as a female leader influenced her business decisions, she had some good advice for aspiring businesswomen. “What is most important to me is to be a good CEO, not a good female CEO,” she told BizJournals. “However, there is no denying that my experience as a woman, as a mother, and as a wife helps to influence the decisions that I make as well as the approach I take to making those decisions. I am grateful that I can be a role model to my daughters and to the women in our company and at our stores. I try to be humble and mindful and to be a good listener. Are those feminine characteristics? If so, they influence my experience as a female leader and decision maker.”

    Sic ’em, Kim!