People on the Move: Marathon Petroleum, VERC, Smoker Friendly
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, CSNews Online runs down the most recent executive changes, new hires, promotions and people achievements happening in the industry.
CHS Inc.
Effective May 26, Darin Tweten joined CHS as part of the Retail Specialist program, which supports the company’s Cenex brand by helping store owners and operators improve their operation’s financial performance. He is responsible for servicing the northern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota regions.
Tweten brings more than 14 years of experience of high productivity, business development, market evaluation, cost control, customer relations, strategic planning, foodservice management and margin control.
Also at CHS, Jake Hamlin was named director of state government affairs, effective June 2.
Hamlin joins CHS from Cargill where he served as director, State Government Relations, since 2010 and also spent five years as a government affairs associate. Previously, he served as a committee administrator for the Minnesota House of Representatives, policy assistant for the legislative affairs director, and forestry division planner for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Marathon Petroleum Corp.
Michael G. Braddock, vice president and controller of Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) will retire effective Oct. 1. Until then, he will continue as vice president and chief accounting officer of both MPC and its subsidiary, MPLX LP. In conjunction with Braddock's pending retirement, MPC appointed John J. Quaid to the position of vice president and controller, effective June 23.
Quaid was most recently vice president of Iron Ore and was responsible for all mining operations. Prior to that, he held various positions with U.S. Steel, including vice president and treasurer, controller, North American Flat-Rolled Operations and assistant corporate controller.
Marketing Management Inc.
Marketing Management Inc. (MMI) hired Tim Hauser as vice president of Strategic Business Alliances. In this role, Hauser will help identify and pursue incremental and additional business that leverages MMI’s current brokerage, consumer research and brand development divisions.
Hauser is a seasoned veteran in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. During his career, Hauser has worked for CPG manufacturers Kimberly-Clark Corp. and KalKan Foods Inc. (a division of Mars Inc.), held senior management roles at CBS Marketing, Advantage Sales and Marketing and Crossmark. Most recently, Hauser worked for the Fuel Rewards Network, a loyalty marketing business where fuel rewards are used to drive sales of consumer goods.
Smoker Friendly Intl.
Smoker Friendly Intl. and The Cigarette Store Corp. appointed David Kittle as chief information officer. Kittle comes to Smoker Friendly with 20 years of experience in the information technology and information systems industry.
He was director of information systems for several national companies before starting his own consulting business, Datasys Information Services Inc. He will manage and expand the information technology systems team at Smoker Friendly with an emphasis on security, stability and growth for the company.
VERC Enterprises
VERC Enterprises promoted Anna Bettencourt from district manager to category specialist. In this newly created role, Bettencourt will oversee the growth and development of specific product lines available at VERC locations.
Bettencourt began her career with VERC Enterprises16 years ago as a part-time cashier.
Also at VERC, Zeshan Muhammad was promoted to district manager.
In this role, Muhammad will oversee all VERC locations in southeastern Massachusetts, working with store managers to ensure that company policies and standards are followed.
Prior to his promotion, Muhammad, who has been with VERC Enterprises since 2006, was manager of the Commerce Way Mobil in Plymouth.