April saw several high-profile leadership changes around the c-store industry.
One convenience store chain got a new president, who succeeded his brother in the role. Meanwhile, a travel center company named a new president of its energy arm, an oil major saw its longtime head of mobility announce his retirement and a major c-store chain’s CEO took over as chairman of the board.
Here’s our executive roundup from March, in case you missed it. And if you’re interested in how much the industry’s top executives make, check out our roundup of what CEOs of public c-store companies made in 2023.
Smoker Friendly names new president
The Cigarette Store, doing business as Smoker Friendly, named Dan Gallagher as its new president as of April 17, the company announced on LinkedIn.
Gallagher has worked for the fuel and tobacco retailer since it was founded in 1991 and has been its executive vice president and chief operating officer since 2012. He’ll continue in those roles as he takes on the additional title of president.
Gallagher took over as president from his brother, CEO and Chairman Terry Gallagher Jr., who had been Smoker Friendly’s president since it was founded. Terry Gallagher will continue in his other roles with the company.
Pilot Energy gets new president
Pilot Company has named Gary Hoogeveen as president of its energy arm, Pilot Energy. He now oversees Pilot’s integrated fuel supply chain, including upstream infrastructure and asset management, business development, fuel procurement, logistics and transportation.
He’ll also lead Pilot’s ongoing development of its electric and alternative energy solutions, which includes its aggressive EV charging plan.
Hoogeveen has held several leadership positions with Pilot’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, over the past two decades. Most recently, he spent 10 years as president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power, an electric utility firm under Berkshire Hathaway’s PacifiCorp brand.
BP names new head of technology
BP has named Emeka Emembolu as its new executive vice president of technology. This comes shortly after BP extended its partnership with tech firm Diebold Nixdorf to modernize elements like self-checkout and forecourt tech at BP’s retail stores.
Emembolu, who has been with BP for over two decades in various roles, has served as BP’s chief of staff for the past two years. He will now head the company’s technology functions, succeeding EVP of Innovation and Engineering Leigh-Ann Russell, who is moving on from the oil giant.
BP also named William Lin as EVP of gas and low carbon energy. Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, who previously held that role, is retiring.
Shell Mobility head stepping down
After four decades with the company, Istvan Kapitany, global executive vice president of Shell Mobility – the oil giant’s retail division — is leaving the company on July 1. David Bunch, current chairman of Shell U.K., will succeed him in the role.
Kapitany’s departure follows Shell folding Volta, an electric vehicle charging company it acquired in 2023, into the main company.
Kapitany took on his current role in 2014. Since then, he’s helped grow Shell’s mobility business to more than 500,000 people and over 45,000 retail outlets in 85 countries, according to his announcement. Kapitany has also helped lead Shell through its energy transition, which has included surpassing 50,000 electric vehicle charging points in 30 countries.
RaceTrac CEO to lead board
RaceTrac named CEO Natalie Morhous as chairman of the board. She replaced Carl Bolch Jr., who has assumed the role of chairman emeritus after serving as board chairman for 56 years.
Morhous has held several leadership positions at RaceTrac in more than a decade with the company. Before being named CEO, she served as president, director of strategy and development, executive director of strategy and solutions, and executive director as well as vice president of RaceTrac’s transportation arm Energy Dispatch.
