People on the Move: Kum & Go, Marathon & Parker's

NATIONAL REPORT — Retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in the convenience store industry are only as good as their management teams and employees. In this special roundup, Convenience Store News runs down the most recent executive changes, new hires, promotions and people achievements happening in the industry.

api(+)

Retail design and architecture firm api(+) promoted five employees to associate level. Earning the title are David Behrens, Ryan Martin, Christy Emery, John Scheffel and Tim Moore.

The associate title recognizes individuals who have laid roots and are making ongoing contributions to the vision, strategy and culture of api(+). Those who earn the title are presented both an opportunity and an obligation to continue contributing, growing, developing and leading.

"It's a privilege to have these five individuals contributing to our leadership and work. Each adds exceptional value and enthusiasm to our team, provides insight and creative input to spotting and resolving problems, and influences others as a role model within the firm," said Juan Romero, president and CEO.

CBX

Jodi Sutherland joined brand agency and retail design consultancy CBX as vice president, engagement group director.

In her new position, Sutherland partners with peer leaders at CBX to market the firm to key audiences and develop business-building opportunities with new and existing clients, driving core competencies more broadly, and identifying new offerings to support clients' evolving needs. She reports to Gregg S. Lipman, CEO and managing partner.

Sutherland comes to CBX from global advertising agency Publicis Worldwide, New York, where she was senior vice president, group account director. Prior to that, she was executive director, client services/business development at global brand and creative design agency Brand Union, New York.

ConAgra Foods Inc.

Darren Serrao has been appointed chief growth officer at ConAgra Foods Inc., reporting to CEO Sean Connolly.

Serrao will lead the Growth Center of Excellence at ConAgra Foods that includes insights, innovation, research and development, and marketing. The Growth Center joins multiple departments to improve connectivity and boost speed-to-market, ensuring strong insights lead to relevant and timely products with the right marketing support.

Serrao was most recently senior vice president, chief marketing and commercial officer at Campbell Soup Co., where he led the U.S. consumer business. Previously, he was vice president of innovation and business development for Campbell North America. He's also held several P&L and marketing positions during his career, including roles with PepsiCo and Unilever.

Convenience Valet

Convenience Valet appointed two new members to its board of directors: Van Tarver, former president of the Kroger Convenience Store Division, and Michael Brown, founder and former CEO of Sunstone Inc.

Tarver, who joined Kroger as president of Fremont, Calif.-based Quik Stop Markets Inc. in 1997, has more than 36 years of experience managing convenience stores and fuel operations. He served as president of the Kroger Convenience Store Division, the Supermarket Petroleum Group and its Turkey Hill Dairy. He previously served as senior vice president of Thrifty Oil Co.

Brown is an investor, business consultant and franchise owner, and also sits on multiple boards. He was the founder and former CEO of Sunstone, a company that designs, merchandises and manufactures sterling-silver jewelry for department stores and mass merchandisers. For seven years, he was an active advisor/mentor to the Kellogg Entrepreneur's Organization at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Eby-Brown Co. LLC

Mathew Mandeltort accepted the position of vice president of foodservice strategy and education at Eby-Brown Co. LLC. He is now responsible for providing the strategic direction of all Eby-Brown foodservice programs and creating a cohesive brand and marketing strategy that enhances the company's existing position as a best-in-class, national foodservice provider.

Mandeltort previously served as corporate foodservice manager at Eby-Brown. He has been with the company since January 2014, and has more than 30 years of experience in foodservice operations.

"Since he joined our team, Mat has exuded passion for the category, sharing his vast experience to make our foodservice programs second to none in the industry. Mat's extensive foodservice knowledge and enthusiasm for the category have been instrumental in creating even greater foodservice value for our customers," said Joe Roenna, executive vice president of merchandising, procurement and inventory management.

Kum & Go LC

Kum & Go appointed Krischelle Tennessen as senior vice president of human resources. In this role, she is a member of Kum & Go's senior leadership team and reports directly to CEO Kyle J. Krause.

"Krischelle has a solid background in human resources, HR analytics, policies and systems, among many other positive qualities," Krause said. "Her strong drive and people skills fit well with Kum & Go's promise to deliver more than our customers expect — which starts by ensuring the best team is in place throughout the entire organization."

Tennessen joins Kum & Go from Walmart, where she served most recently as vice president of HR in Bentonville, Ark. She was with Walmart for nine years in various human resources roles in Bentonville and Minneapolis. Prior to that, she worked at Target Corp. in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City.

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) appointed Tom Kaczynski to the position of vice president of finance and treasurer, effective Aug. 31. His responsibilities include capital structure, cash and banking, capital budgeting, financial planning and analysis, investor relations, insurance and commercial credit. He reports to Tim Griffith, senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Kaczynski comes to MPC from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., where he served as vice president and treasurer. He began his career with Ford Motor Co. He then worked at Visteon Corp. as director of affiliate finance and of capital markets and bank relations before moving to Affinia Group Inc., where he served as vice president and corporate treasurer.

In other MPC people news, Charles E. Bunch has been elected to the MPC board of directors, effective Sept. 22. Bunch is chairman of the board and CEO of PPG Industries, a role he has held since 2005. Effective Sept. 1, he retired as CEO and remains executive chairman of PPG. Bunch also serves as a member of the boards of directors of ConocoPhillips and the PNC Financial Services Group.

"[Bunch's] strategic business acumen will be a tremendous asset to Marathon Petroleum Corp.'s shareholders," said Thomas J. Usher, the company's non-executive chairman of the board. "His long and diverse experience at PPG, combined with his current directorships in upstream oil and financial services, will bring additional depth of expertise to MPC's talented board as we continue focusing on value-creation for our owners."

NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing

Britt Reynolds joined NACS as marketing manager. She will assist in developing and executing multi-channel marketing strategies for the NACS Show, as well as other NACS events, education, products and services. 

Reynolds comes to NACS most recently from the American Composites Manufacturers Association, where she served as marketing manager. Her prior roles have included tenure at Jobs for America's Graduates and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Parker's Convenience Stores

Parker's hired Adrian Gibson as talent acquisition specialist. He is responsible for recruiting, onboarding and retaining qualified job candidates at Parker's.

Gibson brings more than 13 years of human resource experience in the U.S. Army to his position at Parker's. Originally from Cincinnati, he currently resides in Savannah and is attending Savannah Technical College.

"Adrian has strong HR experience and great interpersonal skills, both of which will be important in our ongoing recruitment and retention efforts at Parker's," said Michelle Weckstein, director of human resources. "He will help us strategically expand our team as the company continues to grow in key markets throughout Georgia and South Carolina."

Ready Pac Foods Inc.

Dan Redfern joined Ready Pac Foods Inc.'s executive team as chief financial officer. He is based in its Irwindale, Calif., headquarters and reports to CEO Tony Sarsam.

Redfern is responsible for overseeing and directing Ready Pac's financial goals and objectives, and driving the company's financial planning including managing risk, record-keeping and company reporting. He also serves on Ready Pac's First Team and assists on management of all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget management, cost-benefit analysis, forecasting needs and securing new funding.

Redfern joins Ready Pac with a wealth of experience from a number of industries, including consumer packaged goods, finance and consulting. He previously served as CFO at snack food company Pop Chips Inc., and CFO at Circle Foods/Tyson Foods. He also spent more than 14 years at PepsiCo, where he led the sales and strategy development for the Pepsi Bottling Group.

Standex Refrigerated Solutions Group

Standex Refrigerated Solutions Group promoted Johnny Manche to vice president of finance, and Beth Berryhill to director of human resources.

Manche joined Standex in 2004 as controller for the Nor-Lake division. He was promoted to Nor-Lake vice president of finance in March 2007. Prior to joining Standex, Manche acquired more than 13 years of progressive finance/accounting leadership experience in automotive, textile, service and public practice industries.

Berryhill joined Standex in 1993 as employee relations manager for the Master-Bilt division. She has spent her entire business career in the human resources profession in manufacturing environments. 

In addition, Scott Ball joined the company as director of foodservice chain business. Ball has worked in the foodservice industry for more than 25 years in sales and account management at Nabisco, Lipton/Unilever, Bunn Inc., Emergen-C and Master-Bilt.