NACS has appointed Frank Gleeson as president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2026, the association announced on Wednesday.
Gleeson, former president and CEO of food distributor Aramark Northern Europe and NACS’ board chair from 2018 to 2019, will succeed current President and CEO Henry Armour, who announced his resignation last October. Gleeson will be the fourth CEO in NACS’ 64-year history.
“I am honored to follow the successes of Henry Armour and excited to lead NACS, which has a stellar reputation both in the United States and around the world,” Gleeson said in the announcement.
While leading Aramark Northern Europe from 2017 to 2024, Gleeson oversaw a team of over 20,000 employees across more than 2,800 locations in the U.K., Ireland, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before Aaramark, Gleeson was retail director at Topaz Energy Group, the largest importer, distributor and retailer of transportation fuel in Ireland.
He also served as VP of retail at Statoil Ireland, which has since rebranded to Equinor, where he spearheaded its first American-style convenience store in Ireland. Most recently, Gleeson served as chairman of the National Oil Reserve Agency in Ireland.
Gleeson also served on NACS’ international board for 19 years and was on the NACS board of directors for 11 years, including his term as chairman.
“We are excited about what Frank brings to NACS,” said Joe Sheetz, chairman of Sheetz and one of the leaders of NACS’ CEO search committee. “He met all the criteria that we were seeking — and then some. Most of all, his passion for nurturing a great culture and building and growing winning teams is a critical component to continue the culture that Henry Armour has built at NACS over the past 20 years.”
Armour, who’s been NACS’s president and CEO since July 2005, will help transition Gleeson into the role and will continue to lead international activities at NACS for the next several years, according to the announcement.
“I’m proud of what we have built at NACS over the past two decades through aggressive advocacy and strong financial management,” Armour said in the announcement. “We have shown that by creating and constantly nurturing a positive culture we can accomplish extraordinary things together. I’m committed to turning over the best team and resources possible to Frank and continuing to support the organization over the coming years.”
