NACS Supplier Board Gets New Leadership

ATLANTA — NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, named Brad McGuinness the 2016-2017 chairman of the NACS Supplier Board. McGuinness serves as senior vice president of global petroleum systems at Verifone.

NACS also named Jay Ard, vice president of national sales, convenience retail, at The Coca-Cola Co., chair-elect. He will succeed McGuinness as 2017-18 chairman. Both McGuinness and Ard were named to the positions during the NACS Supplier Board meeting at the 2016 NACS Show in Atlanta.

McGuinness began his career in 1983 with Paradyne Corp. before partnering with a Belgium-based technology firm to form Perdata Corp., where he pioneered point-of-sale integrations for the late Sam Jacobsen's Pick Kwik and PDQ Food Stores, Nice N Easy and other industry retailers, NACS said.

Verifone acquired Perdata in 1992. Currently, McGuinness leads product and engineering teams for Verifone's global line of business in the convenience store and petroleum markets. His past accomplishments include spearheading key standards development initiates with Conexxus, the nonprofit organization that drives standards, technology innovation and advocacy for the convenience industry.

Ard started out as a route driver for the Rainwater Coca-Cola Bottling Group in 1979 before rising in the ranks with positions of increased responsibility. In 1994, he began serving as the area vice president for south Louisiana, and was later promoted to general manager of the Gulf States Division and general manager of the Florida Division. In 2005, he assumed his current role.

Three vice chairmen were elected to the five-member board leadership team, including:

• Drew Mize, president, The Pinnacle Corp.        
• Tim Quinn, vice president trade development, Mars Chocolate North America LLC
• Dave Riser, vice president external relations, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Additionally, three new members were elected to the NACS Supplier Board:

• Cindy McEntire, team leader, Nestle
• David Charles, president and CEO, Cash Depot
• George Ubing, national sales director-convenience channel, E&J Gallo Winery

The NACS Supplier Board is made up of individuals from NACS supplier member companies that represent different product and service categories in the convenience store industry.

Alexandria, Va.-based NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.