While the c-store industry didn’t see as many CEO changes as clothing or beauty retailers did this year, the industry nonetheless saw its fair share of executive changes. From major players to mid-size and small chains, c-stores around the country saw longtime leaders step out and fresh faces slide into their company’s executive offices.
Here’s a look at some of the most notable c-suite changes the c-store industry saw in 2022.
Kwik Trip names a new CEO and COO
Longtime Kwik Trip CEO and president Donald P. Zietlow will retire at the end of 2022 after 22 years at the head of the company and 52 years with Kwik Trip overall, the company announced in November. His son, Scott Zietlow, will take over as president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2023, after retiring from his role as a professor of surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Kwik Trip also appointed Tom Reinhart as its chief operating officer and announced that Jeff Wrobel will stay on as the chief financial officer.
Kwik Trip has grown significantly under Donald Zietlow. During his tenure, the chain more than doubled its store count. He also oversaw the addition of a hot food menu in 2003, a fresh food program in 2005 and what Kwik Trip called the U.S.’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) station in 2012.
Boyett Petroleum restructures leadership
In April, Boyett Petroleum — an 80-store chain under the Cruisers and Kwik Serv store brands — named former president Dale Boyett as CEO, and appointed former vice president of retail operations Scott Castle as his replacement.
Prior to becoming CEO, Boyett had served as president of the family-owned retailer since 2004. His late father, Carl Boyett, was the last person to hold that title for the company, back in 2015.
Castle has been with Boyett since 2001. As VP of retail operations, he oversaw all aspects of the company’s retail business, including creating and building the Cruisers retail store brand, as well as sales, merchandising, safety, maintenance and compliance, store technology, site improvement and new builds.
Parkland reorganizes U.S. and Canadian leadership
Donna Sanker was named president of Parkland’s USA division in December, succeeding Doug Haugh, who departed after five years. Sanker, previously president of Parkland Canada, also held executive roles with BP across nearly 17 years, including COO and chief marketing officer before joining Parkland.
To fill Sanker’s previous role, Parkland named Ian White, former senior vice president of strategic marketing and innovation, as president of Parkland Canada. White has been with Parkland since 2014, and prior to joining the company, was the head of Dollar Financial Group’s Canadian subsidiary, National Money Mart Company. He also spent 18 years at retailer Canadian Tire Corporation.
Donna Sanker was named president of Parkland USA in December.
Foxtrot taps former Taco Bell executive
In June, Foxtrot named Liz Williams as president and chief financial officer. Williams now oversees the retailer’s operations, finance, strategy, real estate, growth, human resources and supply chain divisions.
Prior to joining Foxtrot, Williams was CEO of Drybar, a hairstyling chain that she led from 2020 until her departure in 2021. She also spent more than nine years at Taco Bell, where she served as vice president of strategy and finance, then became CFO and assumed the role of president of Taco Bell International in 2018.
Enmarket hires new president
Enmarket named Matt Clements as president in April, succeeding Brett Giesick, who left to become CEO of Enmarket’s parent company, Colonial Group. Clements now manages Enmarket’s operations, marketing, construction, real estate, accounting and fuel pricing.
Clements joined Enmarket as director of marketing in 2012 and became vice president of marketing in 2019. He also spent 11 years on the board of directors for the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores.
Vintners promotes within for president of retail
Vintners Distributors — owner of 135 Shell stations and 48 Loop Neighborhood c-stores — named Pervez Pir president of retail in January. Pir had been Vintner’s chief operating officer since 2011, where he streamlined business processes, implemented cost control measures, enhanced operational efficiency and more.
Prior to joining Vintner, Pir was executive vice president for upscale c-store chain Famima USA and the director of marketing and merchandising for Pacific Convenience & Fuels.
Pilot focuses on DEI
This summer, Pilot hired Angie Cody as its director of inclusion, diversity and equity. As part of Pilot’s Team Member Experience department, Cody heads the retailer’s inclusion, diversity, equity and awareness (IDEA) efforts; develops action plans to foster an accessible, equitable and inclusive work environment; and helps broaden the company’s diversity recruitment pipeline.
Prior to joining Pilot, Cody spent 16 years at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, where she held a variety of roles related to DEI, including director of inclusion and diversity. She also co-founded the St. Louis Diversity and Inclusion Consortium, which aims to advance DEI within organizations in and around St. Louis. Cody is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Angie Cody became Pilot’s first IDEA director earlier this year.
GPM Investments promotes marketing and merchandising veteran
GPM Investments, the c-store arm for Arko Corp., named Ruth Ann Lilly as senior vice president of marketing and merchandising in March. Lilly joined GPM in 2017 as senior category manager of tobacco and was promoted to vice president of marketing and merchandising in 2019.
Lilly — who has 31 years’ experience in the c-store industry — has also held various roles with Sunoco and Crown Central Petroleum, as well as multiple grocery brands, according to her LinkedIn bio.
