Brian Hannasch is closing the books on his one-year term as NACS chairman. And as he steps aside, the special advisor to Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., said he’s used his chairmanship position as “a platform to connect with people on an entirely different level.”
“It is always great to engage with the people leading our industry forward,” said Hannasch, who leads the NACS political engagement committee.
Hannasch served as president and CEO of Couche-Tard from 2014 until his retirement in 2024. The Circle K parent operates in 31 countries and territories with more than 16,700 stores, the majority of which sell fuel.
The NACS convention is a homecoming of sorts for Hannasch, who earned his M.B.A. from The University of Chicago.
What have been some of the broad highlights you can share about this past year as chairman?
After an amazing 20 years leading the organization, Henry Armour, will be stepping down as NACS President and CEO at the end of 2025 to lead our international efforts. An important focus this past year was to implement the succession plan for the next president and CEO of NACS. (NACS has since named Frank Gleeson as Armour's successor.)
What did you learn as NACS chairman that you can take back to your own chain, even implement operationally?
Hannasch: The most powerful tool we have at our disposal is learning from others. It is so much more efficient to find out what works—and what doesn’t work—from people who are already pushing boundaries in a certain area. Then you can focus on pushing other boundaries and share what you’ve learned. That’s how industries move forward, and that’s certainly how our industry moves forward. A great way to think of NACS is that it’s the world’s largest study group. There are so many resources available to learn from others. And given Circle K’s footprint in multiple countries, I have first-hand experience in seeing how great ideas can come from anywhere. I think a hugely overlooked factor is asking the right questions, instead of just looking for the right answers. I have learned so much from how great leaders think.
Based on your experience this past year, what are the key takeaways you’d want to share with c-store stakeholders?
Hannasch: Think long term and think outside of the box. That’s not something that I would say I’ve learned this year, but it’s more related to my time on the NACS Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is where some of the innovations that will drive our industry forward first take root as discussions about opportunities. TruAge, the age-verification system that is revolutionizing the whole point-of-sale experience, was first discussed as a concept back in 2020. Today, it is accelerating acceptance, and that was a process that started five years ago.
What NACS-driven initiatives are you most proud to cite?
Hannasch: The same thought process (carried out with TruAge) led to digital solutions, such as THRIVR and PROSPR—done by focusing on the simple question: How do we support convenience retailers and give them the tools they will need to compete not just today, but five or 10 years from now? This thinking also informs how we advocate. From the outside, lobbying on Capitol Hill may seem reactive, and that may be the case for some organizations. But for NACS, it’s about crafting a very deliberate strategy and then executing on it—well before positions are hardened and votes are taken.
What are your sentiments about the future of c-store retailing and where this retail channel is headed in 2025 and beyond?
Hannasch: Convenience continues to grow in importance to consumers around the world. Convenience is also a stated goal of every other retailer, regardless of channel, which means the competition for convenience stores continues to intensify. I think we are well positioned for continued success—as long as we continue to listen to the customer and are quick to adapt to change.
What are some of the events you look forward to at this year's NACS Show?
Hannasch: When we survey NACS Show attendees, the line they most often use for why they go to the NACS Show is, “I want to see the future.” I think no matter what your level of experience or your position within the industry is, a central reason you should go to the NACS Show is to see the future. That’s a main reason I go as well. And, of course, the energy and fun associated with the NACS Show is incredible—and the same energy and fun applies to our industry.
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.