COVER STORY
A Passion for People
Supplier Hall of Famer Vito Maurici believes mentorship is the backbone to an ever-changing convenience industry By Danielle Romano
FROM THE OUTSIDE looking in, most people may not understand the enormous complexity of the convenience store industry. This complexity, coupled with cross-channel competition, forces the industry to be innovative, nimble, and on the cutting edge of understanding the migratory nature of consumer needs. Tack on the trials and tribulations of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the velocity of change has accelerated.
But if you ask industry veteran Vito Maurici what force continues to propel the channel forward, he will tell you that it’s the people and the lasting impact mentorship can have. “I have been tremendously blessed and honored to have caring and trustworthy colleagues and mentors who have given their time and energy to coach me throughout most of my diverse and versatile career,” said Maurici, this year’s supplier inductee into the Convenience Store News Hall of Fame. Maurici, in turn, has paid it forward. Of the achievements he is most proud of is the opportunity he’s had to give back by serving as a coach and mentor to others. Throughout a storied tenure, Maurici, who today serves as senior vice president of sales and trade relations for McLane Co. Inc., has played an important role in promoting members of his teams to positions with greater responsibility and accountability. “If I had a small part in them achieving their career goals, it is absolutely among my most significant professional accomplishments,” he told CSNews. Fellow industry veteran David Onorato, the 2020 supplier inductee into the CSNews Hall of Fame and vice president, general manager, small format stores for The Hershey Co., has high praise for Maurici’s leadership and influence on the industry. “As a friend of Vito’s for many years, I have had a front-row seat and watched him and been able to appreciate every-
David Onorato, the 2020 Supplier Hall of Fame inductee (right), presented Vito Maurici with this year's Hall of Fame supplier award.
thing Vito does for the industry, has done and will continue to do well into the future. Simply put, he’s an outstanding individual and he puts everybody in front of him — his teammates, his customers, his friends and his family,” Onorato said.
A Jack of All Trades Maurici received his undergraduate degree in marketing and management from Indiana University's (IU) Kelley School of Business, where he earned academic and athletic honors. He was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his athletic and academic accomplishments while at IU. He was also a two-time recipient of All-Big Ten honors and twice selected Honorable Mention AllAmerican as a four-year varsity wrestler. His distinguished career spans 26 years as a sales and marketing executive. His tenure within the convenience industry began with Altria Group Distribution Co. as a territory sales manager. He rose through the ranks to ultimately become vice president of sales, successfully overseeing the strategy, execution and engagement of new product launches, merchandising programs, and customer partnerships.
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