Leighton Butler
Butler, who was born Kimberly Smith, is the second of four children. A small town east of Cleveland, she grew up in Kirtland, Ohio. Her graduating high school class had 100 students. She planned to become a Spanish teacher like her mother, and majored in Spanish and international studies at Miami University in Ohio, where she received a bachelor's degree.
Butler holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law.
2009 marked Butler' completion of the Stanford Executive Program.
Upon graduating from University of Texas Law School Butler began to work for Kelly Hart & Hallman in Fort Worth, Texas. There, she learned the "art of the deal" while collaborating with fellow attorney Lisa Peterson on mergers and acquisitions.
In 1997 Butler left Kelly Hart & Hallman and began to work for Valero. Until January 2003, she was the Managing Counsel and Vice President of Legal Services. In that year, Butler was elevated to Vice President of Legal Service, a position she held until April of 2006. She then served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Valero between April 2006 and November 2012, beginning in April 2006. She was elected Executive Vice president of Retail Marketing in November 2012. During the six years prior to joining CST, Butler served as Valero's Lead Attorney for all significant acquisitions. In November 2012, she was appointed Chairman and Board Member of CST Brands, and on January 1, 2013, she was promoted to Chief Executive Officer and President.
