WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Tanner Krause has been named president of Kum & Go LC, a fourth-generation family-owned convenience-store chain, effective June 1, 2018. His father, Kyle Krause, current CEO and president, will transition to chairman and CEO
In this role, Tanner Krause will oversee marketing, operations and human resources functions for the West Des Moines, Iowa-based company.
- Kum & Go is No. 21 in CSP’s 2017 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by number of company-operated retail outlets.
“Tanner has a passion for our associates and an intimate understanding of the company having grown up working in Kum & Go stores and being a part of the family business,” Kyle Krause said. “I’m excited for the energy he brings as we write the next chapter in our company’s 60-year history.”
Tanner Krause began his career at Kum & Go at age 9, helping stock shelves, sweep floors and ring up customers, and he continued working in stores through his high school years. While in college, he completed internships in both the real estate and business insights and analysis departments. After graduating from Loyola University Chicago, he spent time in the E. & J. Gallo Winery Management Development Program, working at Wirtz Beverage Group in Chicago as a sales representative and Empire Merchants in New York as a district manager.
He then came back to Kum & Go as a district supervisor in the Des Moines area for a year before returning to school to obtain his Master of Business Administration from DePaul University in Chicago.
In 2016, he became director of operations for Kum & Go. In 2017, he was named “senior vice president, grow people” (human resources), where he implemented new benefits for associates including expanded paid time off, maternity, parental and adoption leave policies, as well as an associate food and drink discount program. He recently sponsored a major employment brand effort, as well as a comprehensive standardized training system for Kum & Go store general managers.
“This is an important step in my lifelong journey to make Kum & Go a fantastic place to work and shop,” said Tanner Krause. “It is an incredible honor to follow in the footsteps of my father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and I’m looking forward to continuing to deliver more than our associates, customers and communities expect.”
In addition to his work at Kum & Go, Tanner is on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa.
Kum & Go has more than 400 c-stores in 11 states: Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.