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Three McLane Leaders Recognized with Prestigious Industry Awards

McLane celebrates the recognition of three leaders—Paula Hubbard, Kathy Cortner-Mercer, and BreAnn Hudson—with recent industry awards.

McLane’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Paula Hubbard, was named a Most Powerful and Influential Woman at the 20th Annual National Diversity and Leadership Conference earlier this year. The National Diversity Council honors women for their excellence in leadership, accomplishments, impact on organizations at which they work, commitment to community wellbeing, and demonstrating a commitment to the highest ethical standards.

As a member of McLane’s executive leadership team, Paula manages all aspects of human resources for the company. Before joining McLane in Paula was vice president of human resources western hemisphere regions for British Petroleum, where she led the diversity and inclusion and U.S. university relations efforts for the Americas.

Congratulations to Paula for the recognition—her leadership has strengthened McLane’s company culture, making us a more inclusive, supportive, and thriving organization.

Also this year, Human Resources Director Kathy Cortner-Mercer was recognized as a WFF Change Maker by the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF). Change Makers are women showing high potential to make a difference and who drive strong business results, exemplify inclusive leadership, and represent the future of the foodservice industry.

Change Makers are selected by their companies for their outstanding contributions and exceptional promise as rising leaders who are committed to expanding opportunities for everyone. Kathy was recognized in the class of 43 Change Makers at the WFF Leadership Conference in March.

Kathy joined McLane more than 15 years ago as a human resources specialist and quickly advanced her career, serving as the human resources manager and then senior human resources manager supporting the southwest region. In 2023 she moved to the Carrollton support center as the senior human resources manager for the Carrollton and Rocky Mount support centers while continuing her role over the southwest region. Most recently, she was promoted to human resources director.

BreAnn Hudson, McLane’s director of commercial marketing, was recently recognized as a Senior Level Leader by Convenience Store News’ Top Women in Convenience awards. With a 10-year tenure at McLane, BreAnn leads commercial marketing strategy for the enterprise. Among her accomplishments, BreAnn led the transformation of McLane’s trade show and conference, McLane Engage, into an immersive, cutting-edge experience. Her outstanding achievements and leadership render her a deserving recipient of the award, which will be presented at the 2024 NACS Show in Las Vegas this fall. This year boasted the largest class yet, with more than 107 accomplished and up-and-coming female leaders leaving their mark on the convenience store sector.

The accolades for Paula, Kathy, and BreAnn Hudson highlight the crucial role of women in driving innovation and excellence at McLane. Congratulations on the recognition!

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