Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent company of Circle K convenience stores, named Erica Fortune as its new chief digital officer last month, according to the c-store retailer’s website.
The company’s website notes that Fortune joined Couche-Tard from automotive retailer Advance Auto Parts, where she was chief product management officer and senior vice president of e-commerce. Prior to that, Fortune was senior vice president of e-commerce for home discount retailer Big Lots, where she drove its omnichannel transformation and built its e-commerce platform.
Fortune’s LinkedIn bio notes that she spent eight years at Big Lots, where she was also vice president of e-commerce and director of e-commerce merchandising. According to her LinkedIn bio, Fortune also held e-commerce and merchandise-focused leadership roles with Bath & Body Works, as well as clothing companies Express and The Limited.
A spokesperson from Couche-Tard declined to share details of Fortune becoming its new chief digital officer.
Fortune’s hiring comes about a year after Couche-Tard began scaling back many of its tech-driven efforts, including shuttering its global innovation team and inking a $281 million dollar deal to outsource its IT services for the next decade. Couche-Tard was also expected to launch a virtual convenience store this past winter as part of a management course at Toronto Metropolitan University, though there’s no sign that actually happened.
In addition to Fortune’s hiring, Couche-Tard also promoted Mark Ostoits to senior vice president of operations last month, according to its website. In his new role, Ostoits — who was previously a VP overseeing Couche-Tard’s Southeast region, per his LinkedIn bio — spearheads Couche-Tard’s c-stores in the Western U.S., according to the company’s website.
Ostoits joined Couche-Tard in 2015 when the retailer acquired Kangaroo Express, an affiliate of The Pantry Inc., where he was senior region director. He held that position for nearly 12 years, according to his LinkedIn bio. Earlier in his career, he spent over six years as a regional sales manager for Swifty Serve Convenience Stores, which sold its roughly 500 c-stores amid bankruptcy in 2002.
A spokesperson from Couche-Tard declined to share details of Ostoits’ promotion.
Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard operates more than 7,100 c-stores in the U.S. It is the second-largest c-store company in North America behind 7-Eleven.
