Parker’s Builds Up Its Talent Roster
By Greg Lindenberg on Jun. 28, 2021SAVANNAH, Ga. — Parker’s in recent weeks has hired a roster of new executives to expand its leadership team, including several convenience-store industry veterans. The appointments continue a spate of recent growth for the Savannah, Ga.-based convenience-store chain.
- Parker’s is No. 99 inCSP’s 2021 Top 202 ranking of the largest U.S. c-store chains.
Click through to meet the latest additions to the retailer’s team …
Katie Kerney
Parker’s has hired Katie Kerney to serve as the company’s chief people officer. In her new position, Kerney is responsible for the company’s culture as well as the overall safety, welfare and success of Parker’s team members.
Kerney brings 24 years of experience in human resources and talent development to her new position. She joins Parker’s after serving as the vice president of learning for the Americas for Marriott International, where she developed and executed service, brand and leadership learning solutions for hotels in Canada, United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and South America.
A strategic thinker with strong project management skills, Kerney previously served as a director of human resources for several premier properties from New York to Florida within Marriott International, including the flagship New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan.
“Katie is a people-first leader who understands the fact that our team members are the real secret to our success at Parker’s,” said Parker’s founder and CEO Greg Parker.
John Rudolfs
Parker’s has hired John Rudolfs as chief development officer, responsible for the growth and overall network development strategy of the company. A leader with a strong cross-functional management background and a former U.S. Navy officer, Rudolfs joins Parker’s after serving as chief development officer for c-store retailer MAPCO, Brentwood, Tenn., where he managed the growth strategy and capital planning for existing and new-to-industry (NTI) locations. Rudolfs brings more than 20 years of experience in leading multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies, including a variety of fuel companies. He previously served as the executive vice president for Murphy Oil Corp. and Murphy USA, El Dorado, Ark.
Scott Smith
Parker’s has hired Scott Smith as senior director of information technology, leading the chain’s IT operations and collaborating with the company’s Chief Innovation Officer Eric Jones on digital transformation and strategic growth efforts.
An expert in developing strategic solutions for retail technologies, Scott Smith joins Parker’s after serving as the director of information technology for Baltimore-based convenience and fuel retailer Royal Farms, where he led the IT department in security, infrastructure and retail operations initiatives for hundreds of locations across multiple states. Bringing 12 years of convenience-focused IT strategy experience to his new position at Parker’s, Smith previously served as Royal Farms’ project manager and systems and network administrator during its growth from 100 to more than 250 store locations.
“At Parker’s, we place a high value on people-first leaders who use their skills, knowledge and expertise to help us achieve and exceed our goals,” said Greg Parker. “We know that John Rudolfs and Scott Smith each bring years of convenience-store industry experience and technical expertise that will benefit our team, our stores and, most importantly, our customers.”
Kara Hardiman
Parker’s has hired Kara Hardiman as director of learning and development, optimizing team member performance through training initiatives, accountability practices and career coaching.
She joins the company after serving as the marketing learning lead for Marriott International, where she partnered with internal stakeholders to organize performance-based learning strategies for more than 90 hotels across five states. Hardiman brings more than 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry and previously served as the director of Americas learning for Marriott International’s luxury brands throughout the Unites States and Canada, senior manager of Americas learning delivery for Marriott International’s premium brands and director of room operations at the Westin Charlotte in North Carolina.
Johnny Wood Jr.
And Parker’s has hired Johnny Wood Jr. as controller. He is an experienced c-store industry accountant and U.S. Army veteran. In his new role, Wood manages the accounting team, oversees the monthly closing process, verifies financial data and directs the year-end financial audit process.
Prior to joining Parker’s, Wood served as the senior accounting supervisor and fuel analyst for 7-Eleven in Irving, Texas, where he successfully managed fuel inventory for all U.S. and Canada 7-Eleven locations.
Since its founding in 1976, Parker’s has grown from a one-store operation in Midway, Ga., to chain of 68 c-stores in southeastern Georgia and South Carolina. The company serves Southern-inspired food through Parker’s Kitchen, offers the Parker’s Rewards program and gives back to every community where it does business through the Fueling the Community charitable giving program and the Parker’s Community Fund.
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