Tony Kenney does not like the spotlight.
As president of Speedway LLC, Enon, Ohio, Kenney is much more comfortable coaching and cheering on others—whether they are the company’s 36,000 employees, his two sons or the many children who have been patients of Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, which the retailer supports as a corporate sponsor.
But at a packed celebratory dinner for Kenney and Speedway, Winsight LLC and CSP magazine’s 2015 Retail Leader of the Year, it was his time to be recognized. And speakers at the event, held at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas in October, made clear the effect of his support and leadership through the years.
“Tony’s about team, Tony’s about all of us coming together—he’s the most unselfish person I’ve ever met,” said Glenn Plumby, senior vice president of operations for Speedway, in his comments before more than 300 retailers, vendors, family members, friends and colleagues of Kenney. “He’s about as humble as they come.”
It’s an especially admirable trait considering Kenney’s leadership role. Under his guidance, Speedway has grown into the second-largest company-owned and -operated convenience-store chain in the United States, with more than 2,700 stores across 23 states. This size reflects the company’s October 2014 acquisition of Hess’ 1,250 retail locations.
And Speedway is one of the most disciplined, profitable c-store chains in the country, thanks in part to Kenney’s insistence on “doing the math” on every business decision, to ensure it brings a strong return to the company.
But despite this business acumen, anyone who knows Kenney first talks about that warm smile and how much he cares, a quality that permeates the company.
“The No. 1 priority at Speedway is people: the people who come into the store, the people who work there, our communities,” said Speedway store manager Sheila Wehrs in a video highlighting Kenney’s award-winning qualities.
“When you get a leader who exhibits that and is very, very humble, very true to his word, very genuine, it brings that culture because he wants the best for us,” said Tom LeFevers, Speedway’s vice president of marketing.
“Tony has a strong passion for encouraging and allowing folks to come to their full potential,” said Beth Hunter, senior vice president of finance, ITS and CFO of Speedway. “He does care for the employees, and they can see that when he walks into a store.”
Strong, Silent Type
As an intern at Speedway, Tony’s son Raymond Kenney got to see his father’s investment in employee happiness firsthand. During his remarks at the Retail Leader of the Year dinner, he shared an anecdote about his daily 45-minute drive to work with “the boss.” Raymond expected Tony to drill him with questions about who at the company was "working for me” or “carrying their weight.” Instead, he got questions about how Tony could better help employees and create a work environment that met their needs.
“He wanted to hear about everyone from the entry-level to the tenured associates, and was extremely open to hearing their opinions and act on them,” Raymond said. The world of business is not exactly the most welcoming place when it comes to displays of emotion. But Tony showed his sons that this quality is a true strength.
“My dad showed me that being a man is not about being rock-solid and not showing emotion in any situation,” Raymond said. “Frankly, it’s the opposite. He showed me that you don’t have to be afraid of showing your weaknesses, and when you show your weaknesses, you can be brave and fight through them. More than that, he showed me that, as a man, you need to engage your children, your wife and your colleagues on an emotional and empathetic level.”
Tony’s commitment to staying connected with those he loves is even more admirable considering his busy work life. His nearly 40-year career with Speedway’s parent company, Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC), is a case study in how hard work can be rewarded. He started at the company in 1976 and has held roles in everything from accounting to IT to business development. But despite his ascension through the ranks—he was named president of Speedway SuperAmerica in 2005—Tony never trumpeted his accomplishments at home.
“My father never talked about his promotions growing up,” said his son John Kenney, who followed his father’s early footsteps into accounting. “He didn’t brag. He was always about his family more, first. Even today, he’s more curious, despite being president of a multibillion-dollar company, he’s more curious about my work.”
“My dad has always been an extremely humble man,” said Raymond. “When he got home from work, he never really talked about his work accomplishments. It was family time from that point.”
Tony’s rise up the ranks also shows his passion for the job, which has required long days and late nights at the office, especially in the days leading up to the closing of the Hess acquisition. This attitude is summed up in one of his favorite sayings: “If you enjoy what you do, then you never truly work a day in your life.”
“And he truly lives that,” said John.
A Big Heart
Of course, it helps to be a little competitive as well. That’s a trait that close friend and Marathon veteran Mike Peak highlighted during his dinner remarks.
“You have to be competitive to get where he has risen in Marathon and Speedway,” said Peak.
But he also emphasized Kenney’s caring side, as evidenced by his focus on what matters the most.
“He cares about the company, he cares about the people, he cares about customers, he cares about his family,” said Peak. “You see that through and through and through. How do you see it? I mean, look at his smile.”
Peak also emphasized Kenney’s compassion. Case in point: Speedway’s commitment to Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) hospitals, for which the convenience-store chain is the fourth-largest corporate contributor. It has raised more than $68 million in its 24 years as a corporate sponsor, supporting 19 hospitals throughout its original Midwestern footprint. With its acquisition of Hess, Speedway is growing its commitment in 2016 to include 26 more children’s hospitals in 15 East Coast and Southeast states.
“Tony has taken the Speedway involvement in the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals to a much, much more significant level over the past years, because he has that compassion and caring,” said Peak. “He’s a man of faith and lives for helping the needy, helping those who are less fortunate. It means everything to him. It’s easy for him.”
“He’s a great guy, he’s caring, he’s amazing,” said Olivia Pierce, a patient ambassador of CMN who became friends with Kenney through Speedway’s sponsorship of the hospital where she gets treatment, in the awards video. “He’s just a great person. Tony Kenney, you’re my hero!”
“For us, knowing Tony Kenney as the … president of Speedway is a huge honor and privilege,” said her mom, Shannon Pierce. “But at the same time, he’s so genuine and down to earth, and kind-hearted, and just a regular guy.”
Responsibility and Challenge
Kenney has the brain of an accountant and the heart of a coach. For other convenience industry execs attending the dinner, this combination is key.
“I love Tony’s approach. He focused on culture but at the same time focused on the numbers too,” said dinner attendee Kyle McKeen, president and CEO of Dallas-based Alon Brands, which operates more than 300 7-Eleven stores in New Mexico and Texas. “That’s key: It has to work financially, and he also puts the cultural layer on it too.”
“He’s a great example of how to recognize people within an organization,” said Scott Hartman, president and CEO of Rutter’s (CHR Corp.), York, Pa., which has 60 sites in Pennsylvania. “He’s rooted in family.”
In his acceptance speech, Kenney acknowledged the personal accolades but then, true to form, directed the spotlight back onto the people who matter the most.
“It’s not an individual award—it’s an award that recognizes the 36,000 employees of Speedway,” said Kenney. "Everything they do day in and day out, taking care of 5 million customers in their 2,700 stores. It’s they who are greeting all of the people, who represent the many fine brands in this room. They’re taking care of the things they need to do. They’re making careers for themselves and their families, and [it’s] a responsibility that we have to provide them with opportunities.”
He also praised his executive team and asked them to stand and be recognized. It was roughly one year ago that Speedway closed on its acquisition of Hess’ retail operations. At that time, Kenney presented his executive team with what he described as a “massive challenge.”
“We needed to be able to integrate the business, we needed to be able to realize the financial benefits of the transaction,” said Kenney. “And in one year, what they managed to accomplish is amazing.”
That includes the conversion of more than 900 former Hess stores to the Speedway brand, from back office to forecourt, signage to training associates.
It also meant collecting and weighing more than 400 best practices from Speedway and Hess that could be used to the benefit of the new, combined company. So far, the team has evaluated and is implementing about 250.
“With this team, they will accomplish it,” said Kenney. “What I thought would take three years has taken one year. It’s just amazing. And it’s a big reason why this reward belongs to them and the 36,000 people at Speedway.”
He also thanked the suppliers in attendance: “You help us achieve things that I hope are good for both of us, and ultimately good for our mutual customers.” And finally, he tipped his hat to the many retailers that participate in this “extremely competitive and yet very rewarding industry.”
“We truly have a tremendous amount of respect for everything you do at your companies, day in and day out. You keep us on our toes,” Kenney said. “We’re always striving to be the very best we can.” —Additional reporting by Angel Abcede
Friends Forever
For Marathon veteran Mike Peak, Tony Kenney has proven to be a true friend.
“My wish for every person here is you have a friend like Tony,” said Peak during his remarks at the Retail Leader of the Year dinner. “There’s no greater reward or honor than having a friend like that.”
As he closed his speech, Peak shared the following lines from the song “Thank You For Being a Friend”:
“And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear even though it’s hard to hear
I will stand real close and say
‘Thank you for being a friend.’ ”
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