While top leadership changes slowed down in May after a very busy April, there were still plenty of notable moves at the highest levels of some top c-store retailers.
Additionally, the industry mourned the passing of Richard Slifka, chairman of Global Partners and son of the company’s founder, Abraham Slifka. Richard Slifka, 85, held numerous leadership positions during his six decades with Global Partners.
Here’s a recap of some c-store executive moves from last month. And here’s our executive roundup from April, in case you missed it.
New Seven & i CEO takes over, 2 SVPs appointed
After announcing the move in early March, Stephen Dacus officially took the top spot at 7-Eleven parent company Seven & i Holdings after its annual shareholder meeting last week.
The 64-year-old Dacus, the company’s first non-Japanese CEO, served on Seven & i’s board beginning in 2022 and was subsequently named lead independent outside director and then chairperson of the board of directors.
He takes the reins as Seven & i commences its transformation plan and weighs a takeover bid from Alimentation Couche-Tard.
In addition, 7-Eleven Inc., the company’s North American branch, named two new vice presidents.
Terri Micklin, whose departure from her role as president of GetGo Cafe + Market made headlines last month, is now the company’s SVP of store development and facilities. In her new roles, she’ll support the company’s plan to open over 1,000 new stores in the next five years.
Finally, 7-Eleven named Sembe Cole vice president of merchandising for its center store and seasonal product categories. Cole was most recently VP of the company’s western franchise operations, a role in which he oversaw over 2,600 franchised 7-Eleven c-stores in the western U.S. He’s also worked as VP of 7-Eleven’s North Atlantic operations, director of operations, zone merchandise leader, market manager, field merchandising manager and field and business consultant.
Weigel’s promotes COO to CEO
Weigel’s has appointed Douglas Yawberry as CEO. The company has been without a top executive since the passing of Ken McMullen in 2021.
After joining the company in 2008, Yawberry was promoted to president of operations three years later and has been Weigel’s president and chief operating officer since 2017.
While he hasn’t been in the CEO role until now, Yawberry has been “running everything” since the loss of McMullen, a company spokesperson said.
Love’s reveals first CMO
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores named Patrick McLean as its first-ever chief marketing officer.
He now leads a team of nearly 300 in the marketing and customer experience departments and reports directly to Love’s President Shane Wharton.
McLean spent nearly two years at the head of his own marketing consultancy and has served as senior vice president and CMO for drug store chain Walgreens, CMO for TD Bank, vice president of digital brand strategy for Capital One bank, and in various marketing roles with telecom companies Verizon and Bell Canada.
Shell USA names new president
Shell named Colette Hirstius as president of its U.S. business, Shell USA. She starts in her new role Aug. 1.
Among Hirstius’s responsibilities will be spearheading Shell’s mobility network in the U.S., where the company serves more than 7 million customers every day, Shell CEO Wael Sawan said.
Hirstius joined Shell in 2003 as a production geologist and project manager. She subsequently took on numerous development and exploration positions, leading to her current role of EVP of Gulf of America.
EG Group welcomes new chief legal officer
EG Group has appointed Erik Chalut as group chief legal officer. His first day is June 9.
Chalut, who has 25 years of experience in leading public companies in the consumer industry, joins EG Group from grill maker Weber, where he had worked since the company launched its IPO in 2021. He’s also served for seven years as corporate counsel for Kellogg Company, and worked for more than a decade as a partner at various legal practices, according to his LinkedIn bio.
He will report directly to new CEO Russell Colaco.
