CSNews Celebrates Cumberland Farms’ Ari Haseotes

TULSA, Okla. — Cumberland Farms Inc. CEO Ari Haseotes was honored Monday night as the 2016 Convenience Store News Retailer Executive of the Year. He accepted his award alongside CSNews Hall of Fame inductees Chet Cadieux, chairman, president and CEO of QuikTrip Corp., and Bob Johnson, founder and CEO of The Pinnacle Corp.

The event took place at the Double Tree Downtown Tulsa, sponsored by Altria Group Distribution Co., BIC USA, Logic Technologies, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Ruiz Foods, The Hershey Co., and ZipLine.

The Retailer Executive of the Year award, now in its third year, recognizes a retailer executive who exemplifies leadership, business acumen, dedication to the industry, and commitment to community service.

Haseotes has been a "tremendous innovator" especially in the area of integration of low-cost mobile payment solutions and loyalty programs, said Hank Armour, president and CEO of NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, and a CSNews Hall of Fame member.

ZipLine Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer Danilo Portal remarked that his company's partnership with Cumberland Farms has pushed adoption of alternative payment methods to significant levels.

Framingham, Mass-based Cumberland Farms is one of America's largest family-owned convenience store chains. Haseotes began his career at Cumberland Farms in the marketing department in 2003 and now serves as the third generation of family leadership. To read more about Haseotes, click here.

Upon accepting his award, the Retailer Executive of the Year said this honor was not an individual award, but really celebrates the work of the entire Cumberland Farms team.

"It's such a gift to me to be given the opportunity to lead the business," he said.