People on the Move: ARKO Corp., Just Born Quality Confections & Marathon Petroleum Corp.
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 at the top in the industry.
ARKO Corp.
ARKO appointed Robert E. Giammatteo as its executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective Jan. 2. Giammatteo will also serve as CFO of ARKO subsidiary GPM Investments LLC.
Giammatteo succeeds Don Bassell, who retired from the position at the end of 2023 but who will remain with the company until April to assist with the transition.
"We expect that Robb's leadership and incredibly relevant, multisegment retail experience will significantly benefit the ARKO team," said Arie Kotler, ARKO chairman, president and CEO. "As our business grows and continues to expand, his expertise in finance, strategic leadership, and transformational management will help us skillfully reach new levels of development and management as one of the leading public companies in the convenience store industry."
Giammatteo joins ARKO as an experienced financial leader of both public and private companies, most recently serving as executive vice president, CFO and chief transformation officer for Giant Eagle Inc. Prior to his time at Giant Eagle, he spent nearly 15 years in executive finance roles with various retailer and apparel companies, including Ascena Retail Group, VF Corp. and Limited Brands.
Just Born Quality Confections
Just Born Quality Confections brought on board Meenakshi Trehan as the company's new chief growth officer. In this role, Trehan will be responsible for overseeing the sales and marketing teams.
"As we move into our second century in business, we are reinvesting across our portfolio of brands. Meenakshi brings decades of [consumer packaged products (CPG)] experience, an innovation mindset, and people-first leadership to our team. She has the skill set to enhance our brands, create value for our customers, and bring joy to our consumers," said Chip Jett, co-CEO of Just Born.
Trehan most recently served as vice president of marketing and innovation at Organic Valley, where she led marketing efforts, strategy development and implementation, as well as P&L for the branded business. She began her CPG career at Campbell Soup Co., holding multiple roles in the soup, sauce, beverage and meal portfolio business.
Marathon Petroleum Corp.
Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) promoted current executive vice president and CFO Maryann T. Mannen to the role of president.
[Read more: Marathon Petroleum Marks 1M Loyalty Members at Brand Retail Stations]
As president, Mannen will have oversight responsibility for the refining business, commercial performance, and the health, environment, safety and security functions of the company. She also will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors of the general partner of MPLX.
Prior to joining MPC in 2021, Mannen had a 35-year career in the energy sector, holding positions of increasing responsibility at TechnipFMC and predecessor companies, including executive vice president and CFO.
John J. Quaid will succeed Mannen as executive vice president and CFO. He also will continue to serve as a board member of MPLX.
Quaid joined MPC in 2014 as vice president and controller, and became executive vice president and CFO of the general partner of MPLX in 2021. Prior to joining MPC, Quaid held several roles of increasing responsibility at U.S. Steel.
Mannen and Quaid will both continue to report to CEO Michael J. Hennigan in their new roles.
Nissin Foods USA
Nissin Foods USA appointed Brian Huff as its new president and CEO. He succeeds Mike Price, who retired from the role after serving in the position since 2018.
Huff will lead the U.S. division of Nissin Foods, overseeing its growth and solidifying the company's position in the instant ramen category market. He will also play a pivotal role in the progress and commitment to the global initiatives led by the Nissin Foods Group, including its Earth Food Challenge 2030, part of the company's long-term environmental strategy.
His appointment coincides with the company's announced expansion of its U.S. operations and the building of a third manufacturing facility in South Carolina due to product demand.
Huff has more than 33 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, formerly serving in executive roles with Diamond Foods and Whole Earth Brands. He also spent 24 years with Kellogg's, managing several large customers and businesses and overseeing a portfolio of brands encompassing Pringles, Cheez-Its, Keebler and Kellogg's branded snacks.
Paytronix
Eric Steele joined Paytronix as CFO, replacing acting-CFO Lee Barnes, who will continue to serve as the company's chief data officer and take on additional responsibility as chief of staff.
"Eric's deep finance, corporate development, and strategy expertise will serve him well in the CFO role at Paytronix," said Jeff Hindman, Paytronix CEO. "Eric has spent his career working with growth-stage technology companies, including as an operator, investor and advisor. He understands the value drivers to build enduring businesses, making him the perfect person to help us scale Paytronix for the future."
Steele most recently worked with Snap One as senior vice president of finance and corporate development, where he played a key role in scaling the business to a public company with more than $1 billion in revenue. Prior to Snap One, he served as a growth equity investor at Catalyst Investors in New York.
Pilot Co.
Pilot Co. recently made two new personnel changes.
The company first promoted Jamie Landis to senior vice president, business planning and execution. In this new role, Landis will oversee the development, refinement and execution of Pilot's long-term strategy to drive organizational effectiveness and sustained growth of the business. Her previous work and focus on team member experience will continue to play a role in the organization's human resources strategy.
Twenty-five year industry veteran Shannon Sturgil also joined the Pilot team as senior vice president of alternative fuels, where he will oversee the development of alternative energies and low-carbon solutions as part of the company's commitment to the changing energy needs of the transportation industry.
[Read more: Pilot Co. Joins U.S. Department of Defense Program to Offer Opportunities to Service Members]
Rovertown
Rovertown kicked off the new year with the hiring of Chris Patton, who has taken on the new position of head of integrations and implementation. He will be responsible for streamlining the process from when a retailer joins the app platform to launch.
The company created the position due to its customer base growing by more than 50% in 2023.
"This is a critical step as we continue investing in the future of our company," says Mike Philip, CEO and co-founder of Rovertown. "In this next stage of growth, it's essential to quickly meet the technical requirements for vendor integrations and easily navigate the micro-steps involved in new app launches. Patton brings a wealth of experience and has already made a significant impact on our team."
Prior to joining Rovertown, Patton spent nearly six years at Punchh, a loyalty and digital engagement provider for restaurants and c-stores, where he most recently served as senior director of technical consulting and helped implement many of the platform enhancements for convenience stores. Before joining Punchh, Patton spent more than two years managing marketing and IT projects for Taco Bell.
The company move follows several strategic hires in 2023, including Bill Bustin as head of customer success and Frank Beard as head of marketing.
Ruiz Food Products Inc.
Ruiz Food Products Inc. made a number of executive leadership and board changes, appointing the company's current chief operating officer (COO), Kimberli Carroll, as its new president and CEO.
Current CEO Dan Antonelli will transition to the position of executive board chair, while Carroll will join the board as a director, and Kim Ruiz Beck, a Ruiz Foods owner and current board chair, will remain on the board as an owner-director.
"As the Ruiz Foods board of directors considered the direction for our next CEO, the best candidate was right here on our leadership team," said Beck. "Kim Carroll quite literally grew up inside the Ruiz Foods organization over two decades. She began her career in marketing, was a member of the team that developed and deployed the most successful new product in the company's history, and has served as a leader implementing dynamic, transformative change throughout our entire supply, production and distribution chains."
Before her stint as COO, Carroll served as executive vice president, general manager and chief commercial officer for the company's foodservice and retail businesses.
Sabert Corp.
Food packaging manufacturer Sabert Corp. appointed Paul McCann as its new CEO, effective immediately. McCann joins Sabert with more than 25 years of experience in the packaging and process industries.
McCann will lead all aspects of Sabert's global business operations and strategy. He will oversee the company's North American, European and Asia Pacific business units, along with their respective supply chain operations.
Sabert founder and CEO Albert Salama will shift into a new role as executive chairman and partner closely with McCann to ensure a smooth transition.
McCann joins Sabert from Graphic Packaging International, where he served most recently as senior vice president, leading the foodservice division. His past professional experience includes senior management roles with Solo Cup Co., Smurfit Stone Container Corp. and Monsanto Corp., where he held positions in procurement, supply chain and operations, and general management.
Tanknology Inc.
Environmental compliance testing and inspection services provider Tanknology Inc., a subsidiary of D&H United Fueling Solutions Inc., named Johnathan Marks as its new president. Marks will be tasked with managing the overall operation of the company and continue to grow it through organic and inorganic initiatives.
Marks succeeds Allen Porter, who is retiring after leading Tanknology for 25 years.
[Read more: Supplier Spotlights: Cantaloupe Inc., D&H United Fueling Solutions & Gilbarco Veeder-Root]
Marks comes to Tanknology from Johnson Controls, where he most recently served as the global vice president of offering and lifecycle solutions. Previously, he spent four years as the vice president, general manager while leading one of Johnson Control's largest field organizations. Before joining Johnson Controls, Marks spent three years in the aerospace industry and 14 years at Honeywell in various leadership roles.