Dive Brief:

• Maverik has named Crystal Maggelet as its permanent CEO and chief adventure guide nearly five months after she assumed the role on an interim basis, according to a Tuesday announcement from NACS.
• Chuck Maggelet, who led the c-store retailer for several years, announced his retirement in March via a video posted to the company’s YouTube page. He said he was stepping down to focus on finding more balance moving forward, as he recently turned 60.
• Atop Crystal Maggelet’s priorities as CEO will be continuing the integration of Kum & Go, which has stirred controversy among c-store consumers since Maverik acquired the Iowa-based company last fall.

Dive Insight:

When Chuck Maggelet announced his departure in March, Crystal took over as interim CEO and began what she called a “rigorous and robust” search for a full-time replacement.

It turns out that Crystal was the best candidate all along, as she’s now stepped into the role permanently. 

“Building upon Maverik’s former CEO Chuck Maggelet’s wins for the brand during his more than seven-year tenure, Crystal will bring a renewed focus on people, philanthropy and culture to her leadership of nearly 15,000 Team Members across the family-owned c-store network, now serving customers at over 830 stores in 20 states from the Midwest to the West Coast and growing,” the announcement said.

Crystal Maggelet has been at the top of FJ Management, Maverik’s parent company, for over 15 years. Her father, Jay Call, founded FJ in the 1960s. In late 2008, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Maggelet stepped in as CEO upon the company’s reorganization. She also serves as its board chairman.

Crystal Maggelet oversaw FJ’s acquisition of Maverik in 2012, and has seen the company evolve into one of the leading c-store and truck stop chains in the Western U.S. over the past decade-plus. While Chuck oversaw Maverik’s acquisition of Kum & Go last year, Crystal is now guiding an integration process that continues to ruffle consumers’ feathers amid talks of nixing the Kum & Go banner entirely.

Crystal Maggelet also founded Crystal Inn Hotel & Suites in 1993 prior to stepping into the CEO role at FJ.

Salt Lake City-based Maverik operates more than 400 convenience stores in addition to over 400 Kum & Go locations across over a dozen Midwest and Western states.