The convenience-store industry continues to evolve, and the people in the industry continue to advance with it, whether it’s new hires, promotions or retirements. Read on for news about retailers, suppliers, associations and more.
Retailers
Love’s Travel Stops, Oklahoma City, has named Patrick McLean (pictured above) as the company’s first chief marketing officer. He will report to Shane Wharton, Love’s president, and lead nearly 300 team members in the marketing and customer experience departments. McLean succeeds Dave Frankenfield, vice president of marketing who announced his intent to retire after 28 years. Frankenfield will remain with Love’s through the end of 2025 to assist with a smooth transition. McLean will be responsible for aligning Love’s marketing efforts with its values and priorities to drive customer acquisition and retention, while continuing to enhance the overall customer experience.
Gretchen Watkins, president of Shell USA, Houston, is leaving on July 31, after seven years with the energy giant. Shell’s executive vice president Gulf of America Colette Hirstius (pictured above) will succeed Watkins effective Aug. 1. Hirstius will retain her position overseeing the company’s operations in the Gulf of America, as she steps into her new role.
Terri Micklin, former GetGo Café + Market president, has joined Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven as senior vice president of store development and facilities. Micklin left the c-store chain based in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, after it was sold to Alimentation Couche-Tard, Laval, Quebec. GetGo's Vice President of Operations Mike Maraldo (pictured above) will be leading the business unit moving forward.
Convenience-store industry veteran Robert Perkinsretired from Rutter’s, York, Pennsylvania, after a 43-year career in the c-store industry. Along with Rutter’s, Perkins has spent time at Lexington, Kentucky-based Impact 21; Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada-based Irving Oil; and Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven in marketing roles.
Suppliers and services
Smokeless tobacco company Black Buffalo, Chicago, named Loren Eggleton (pictured above) as its chief financial officer. Eggleton will be responsible for overseeing the company’s financial strategy, operations and capital structure. Eggleton brings more than two decades of experience leading high-growth companies through transformative milestones across public and private markets. Prior to joining Black Buffalo, Eggleton served as the inaugural CFO at AppHarvest, where he played a critical role in the company's journey from a 13-person startup to a publicly traded business on the Nasdaq.
Randy Myers, executive vice president, general manager, North Central Sub Region for Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, Miramar, Florida, has retired. Myers began his 39-year career in the beverage alcohol industry with E&J Gallo Winery as a sales consultant in 1986. He then joined Monarch Beverage Co. in 2004 and served as vice president of sales and marketing before joining Glazer’s Distributors in 2007 as vice president of Glazer’s of Missouri. Since then, he has held various leadership roles at Southern Glazer’s.
Annie Starke Lange has joined the National Confectioners Association (NCA), Washington, D.C., as vice president of government affairs. NCA says she will play a key role in advancing the association’s public policy agenda on behalf of the $54 billion U.S. confectionery industry. Lange most recently served as the senior director of federal affairs for the Beer Institute, Chicago, where she worked on tax, trade, agricultural and nutrition policy.
British cigarette maker Imperial Brands says CEO Stefan Bomhard will retire after serving five years in the position. The company’s CFO Lukas Paravicini will succeed Bomhard on Oct. 1. Murray McGowan, Imperial Brands’ chief strategy and development officer, will succeed Lukas as CFO and become a member of the board on Oct. 1. Bomhard will continue to serve on the Imperial Brands board until Dec. 31, and will be available until May 2026 to support Paravicini with the transition.
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