Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent of Circle K convenience stores, has named Mette Uglebjerg senior vice president of global food and marketing, according to an Aug. 29 LinkedIn announcement from Uglebjerg.
In her new role, Uglebjerg will oversee foodservice and marketing across Couche-Tard’s entire c-store network, she noted. Uglebjerg said she’ll be working closely with David Hall, vice president of global foodservice, and Margaret Barron, vice president of global marketing and brand.
“This is a challenge that is close to my heart and that I will meet with great humility, but also with loads of energy and determination to strengthen our brand further and help make even more great and tasty food accessible to our customers,” Uglebjerg said in her announcement.
Uglebjerg steps into her new position after leading Couche-Tard’s Circle K business units and operations in Denmark for the past six years.
In January 2023, she took on the additional role of interim senior vice president of operations, according to her bio on the company’s website. In that position, she led regional operations for Circle K business units in not only Denmark, but also Ireland, the Baltics and Poland, according to her announcement. She also helped integrate new business units in Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium.
Uglebjerg joined Couche-Tard in 2012 when the retailer acquired Norwegian energy company Statoil Fuel & Retail, which Uglebjerg had been with for nearly 20 years, according to her LinkedIn and company bios. Her first role with Couche-Tard was a senior director of marketing development in Denmark.
Uglebjerg held numerous leadership positions at Statoil, including senior market director, director of category management, director of food development and regional manager of retail operations in Denmark.
Couche-Tard promoting Uglebjerg to lead its global food and marketing teams comes on the heels of its agreement to acquire GetGo Café + Markets, the convenience store arm of supermarket chain Giant Eagle.
Although Couche-Tard has focused on growing its food program in recent years — its Fresh Food Fast offering is in nearly 6,000 stores globally — in GetGo it’s getting a retailer that’s been at the forefront of several food trends in recent years, such as drive-thrus and artisanal coffee. GetGo’s menu features a variety of made-to-order items, such as burgers, fried chicken, Italian subs, breakfast sandwiches and wraps.
Uglebjerg’s promotion is one of several executive changes Couche-Tard has made this summer as the company gears up to not only close its deal with GetGo, but possibly acquire 7-Eleven as well. Other appointments have included naming Tommy Rodwell as its head of asset management, Erica Fortune as chief digital officer, Mark Ostoits as senior vice president of operations, James Kelly as global director of procurement operations, Aaron Smorodin as head of M&A and business development and, most notably, appointing Alex Miller as president and CEO, effective Sept. 6.
Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard operates more than 7,100 c-stores in the U.S. and 16,700 locations globally.
