Convenience Store News Reveals 2019 Class of Future Leaders in Convenience

NATIONAL REPORT — The second class of Convenience Store News’ Future Leaders in Convenience awards program includes a diverse selection of up-and-comers, as well as young seasoned executives from both large and medium-sized convenience channel retailers.

The goal of this annual awards program is to celebrate and help develop the next generation of convenience industry leaders by recognizing the achievements of a select few emerging leaders, while providing a forum for talented young business people to hone their leadership skills. The honorees are young convenience retail leaders (aged 35 and under) who are already showing they possess the traits of great leaders and are poised to be at the forefront of the industry’s future.

For 2019, 15 young convenience retail professionals have been selected as Future Leaders in Convenience. They were chosen based on nominations from their peers that highlighted their accomplishments and achievements over the past 12 months.

Their job responsibilities run the gamut from a company president, to category managers, to financial managers, to fuels, marketing and human resources experts.

The 2019 Future Leaders in Convenience are:

• Jeff Bush, President, Parker’s Convenience
• Kala Capolunghi, Human Resources & Payroll Support Specialist, QuickChek Corp.
• David Cole, Category Manager, Fresh Food & General Merchandise, Plaid Pantry
• Drew Dickerson, Category Manager, Dispensed Beverage & Roller Grill, OnCue Marketing LLC
• Mike Gallagher, Senior Platform Manager, Proprietary Beverages, 7-Eleven Inc.
• Brett Hughes, Director of Business Development & Real Estate, Mirabito
• Melissa Lessard, National Marketing Director, Canada, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc./Circle K
• Thierry Lyles, Digital Marketing Manager, Family Express Corp.
• Harry MacIntyre, Director of Finance, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc.
• Dana Renfro, Category Manager, Packaged Beverages, Wine & Liquor, Yesway 
• Darren Renwick, Senior Fuel Procurement Manager, Yesway
• Brett Silva, Category Manager, Center of Store, ExtraMile Convenience Stores LLC
• Emily Smith, Coordinating Manager, Retail Fuel Pricing, Enmarket
• Tyler Tetzloff, Director of Information Technology, Family Express Corp.
• Alan Weaver, Director of Merchandising Solutions, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc.

These young leaders will be recognized and honored at the second-annual CSNews Future Leaders in Convenience (FLIC) Summit, being held Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Downtown Chicago Marriott Hotel on Michigan Avenue. The FLIC Summit precedes CSNews’ 2019 Hall of Fame dinner, honoring Gus Olympidis of Family Express, Scott Hill of Jack Link’s, and Brian Hannasch of Alimentation Couche-Tard/Circle K.

Sponsored by Reynolds American Inc. Trade Marketing Services Co. (RAI TMS), the FLIC Summit is both an awards and educational event. Speakers, including Olympidis and Derek Gaskins, senior vice president, merchandising and procurement at Yesway, will address such topics as how to be a good leader, how to negotiate your way successfully in different management cultures, and what skills are the most important to gain and hone to succeed in the convenience retail industry.