Pilot Co. named Kari Irons as vice president of brand last month, bringing her extensive retail-marketing expertise “to lead the next phase of Pilot’s brand evolution,” the company said.
Prior to joining Knoxville, Tennessee-based Pilot, Irons served as vice president of global brand marketing for Dallas-based Topgolf, where she held the role for two years. Prior to Topgolf, Irons spent 20 years at Nashville-based retailer Journeys with her latest role serving as senior vice president of marketing and direct.
- Pilot Co. is No. 16 on CSP’s 2025 Top 40 Update to the 2024 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2025 Top 202 ranking in the June issue of CSP magazine and in CSP Daily News.
“Guided by our purpose of showing people they matter at every turn, Pilot is dedicated to creating meaningful connections with our guests that go beyond the pump,” Pilot said. “Leveraging Kari’s extensive retail-marketing expertise, we will continue to create exceptional experiences that fill up, fuel up and lift up all the journey makers out here on the road with Pilot.”
Pilot is in the midst of its $1 billion New Horizons initiative. More than 200 Pilot and Flying J stores have been upgraded to date as part of the initiative, the company said in April, with a goal of more than 400. Pilot launched its multiyear initiative in 2022 to improve the customer experience and meet the needs of interstate drivers.
CSP had the pleasure of sitting down with Irons to find out more about her strategy for the innovative retailer's marketing efforts:
CSP: You’re vice president of brand. Tell us a little about what you’ll be doing and what you are most looking forward to doing?
Kari Irons: I’m looking forward to working alongside our team to help make Pilot iconic. We’re part of making the most of 1.2 million people’s journeys every single day, and my mission is to build on that foundation, ensuring every touchpoint we have with our guests is an exceptional and seamless, 360-degree brand experience. Whether it’s inside our stores, through our app, at the pump or even the moments in between, I want drivers to feel like Pilot is a brand that gets them.
Pilot’s legacy stretches back nearly seven decades, and one of many things this company has done well is evolve with the needs of drivers. That adaptability is something I really appreciate. There’s incredible potential to set Pilot apart in ways that truly matter to our guests, and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with such a talented team to bring this vision to life.
CSP: Is there anything you want to address at Pilot in the near future? Long term?
Irons: One of the things I’m most excited about is building on the amazing foundation the team has already created to shape the Pilot brand. It’s all about making sure our guests know we’re here for them—that we see them, we appreciate them and we’re proud to be their trusty wingman on their journey. Whether they’re professional drivers, road trippers or locals stopping in for their morning coffee, we want every guest to feel like they matter to us, because they do.
Looking ahead, we’re focused on evolving the guest experience by fully leaning into our brand and embracing a guest-obsessed mindset in everything we do. This means working closely with our operations and technology teams to ensure our brand comes to life in our stores, on our app and across every touchpoint. Every improvement we make is about creating a better and more branded experience for our guests. At the end of the day, our goal is simple: If we can brighten someone’s day or make their journey smoother, we’ve done our job. And to me, that’s something I’m proud to be a part of.
CSP: Pilot, a travel center/truck stop chain, is a bit of a different animal than where you’ve worked in the past. What experience from past jobs will translate particularly well to this one? And in what area(s) do you see a bit of a learning curve, if any?
Irons: What drew me to Pilot is not only the incredible team but also the commitment to building relationships with our guests that go beyond the pump. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about helping brands forge emotional connections with consumers, and that’s exactly what we’re focused on here at Pilot. Our goal is to fill up, fuel up and lift up all the journey makers out here on the road with us.
It’s exciting to be part of such a large, dynamic company with endless opportunities to learn. From fueling North America through our travel centers and energy business to supporting our fleet and wholesale customers, the impact we have is truly remarkable. Our audience is incredibly diverse—from road trippers, EVers, professional drivers and everyone in between. I’m eager to work alongside this talented team and find new ways to serve the unique needs of our guests.
CSP: Why are you joining Pilot? Was there one deciding factor, or was it a combination of factors?
Irons: The opportunity at Pilot felt like the perfect blend of everything I’m passionate about. It’s a brand with incredible potential—a company that’s been highly successful for decades yet still feels like one of the biggest brands people don’t instantly recognize by name. That challenge is what drew me in. There’s so much white space to create, differentiate and bring this brand to life in new and meaningful ways.
What also stood out to me was Pilot’s culture. The purpose-driven mindset of “showing people they matter at every turn” deeply resonates with me because, at its core, marketing is all about connecting with people. At Pilot, showing people they matter isn’t just a tagline; it’s what drives the team’s work every day. The energy here is real, and I’m thrilled to be a part of a team that’s already doing such great things.
Pilot Co. is one of the largest networks of travel centers in the country, with 655 stores as of Jan. 1. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway.
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