Convenience Foodservice Vision Group
Richard Poye, COO
Food Trends Think Tank
I am an accomplished Executive Leader with an extensive portfolio of success driving sales and profitability growth across the convenience retail, grocery, and CPG industries.
Among my most notable qualifications:
- Reputation as food & beverage innovation leader, well-versed in restructuring menus & merchandising strategies, launching new services, enhancing customer experience, and optimizing program execution, processes, and operations.
- Talent for building, leading, mentoring, motivating, and empowering high-performing teams while improving retention rates.
- Big-picture strategist and creative problem-solver, with solid tactical execution skills.
- Polished negotiation, relationship-building, and public speaking skills.
I am known as a skilled P&L leader who excels in building high-performance teams, fostering innovative cultures, and enhancing guest experiences. I'm also active in the industry, serving as a board member of Outlook Leadership and as a member of the Operator Advisory Council and the National Association of Convenience Stores Political Action Committee.
Convenience Leaders Vision Group
Myra Kressner, Founder
Kressner Strategy Group
With over 40 years knowledge and experience cultivated by strong relationships, Myra Kressner brings value to the marketplace by developing and facilitating strategic engagement for suppliers and retailers in the consumable retail industries.
Myra Kressner co-founded Retail Insights, the food retail industry’s first b-b video publishing company in 1983, which was sold to Progressive Grocer in 1987.
From 1984-1994 Myra led account management for The Retail Marketing Group, a niche B-B trade advertising agency.
In 1994, Myra co-founded CSP Business Media, well know for CSP Magazine, CSP Daily News, Retail Leader of the Year, Convenience Retailing University, Outlook Leadership Conference, CSP’s Edu-Networking series, and even more.
In June 2012 CSP Business Media sold to Winsight Media, which sold to Informa Connect in 2023.
Myra founded Kressner Strategy Group in April 2016, bringing her expertise, deep relationships and thought-leadership to strategic and tactical planning in food retail industries.
Myra was SUNY New Paltz Foundation Board Executive Committee member and Chair of the Foundation Development Committee from 2016-2024, a frequent speaker at New Paltz Women’s Leadership Summit, and speaker and mentor at the Hudson Valley Venture Hub.
In 2018 Myra created the Kressner Autism Spectrum Program (KASP) Fund and Endowment.
Myra co-Founded the Vision Group Network with Eva Strasburger and Roy Strasburger in 2020, hosting quarterly virtual Vision Group meetings with convenience retail and fuel/energy/mobility leaders to debate issues, share experiences and brainstorm solutions. Vision Reports are shared throughout the industry at no charge, dedicated to the mission of “Sharing Today to Shape Tomorrow.”
Myra is the recipient of 2021 Top Women in Convenience and 2021 SUNY New Paltz Heritage awards.
Myra was SUNY New Paltz 2024 Commencement speaker.
Roy Strasburger
CEO, StrasGlobal
President, Compliance Safe
Roy Strasburger is an expert in convenience retailing and a thought leader in the retail industry. He is a frequent columnist, conference presenter, and webinar and podcast participant.
Roy is a fourth-generation retailer and is currently CEO of StrasGlobal, a retail support and consulting company based in Austin, Texas, USA. In this capacity, he oversees StrasGlobal’s retail, tech, and consulting businesses. He also serves as President for Compliance Safe – a business document management software solution that won the CSP Retailer Choice Best New Technology Product in 2020.
Roy attended Baylor University graduating with degrees in Marketing and Computer Information Systems. He obtained his JD degree from Baylor University Law School in 1984 and joined a British law firm based in the Caribbean.
After moving to England, where he started a publication company, Roy returned to the US to join Strasburger Enterprises, Inc. (SEI) as General Counsel. He later became President of SEI’s fuel division then, in 1994, he was named President of the International Division. From 2009 Roy ran SEI’s US and international convenience retailing businesses as well as heading up Cambridge-Myers, its consulting division. During his time with SEI, Roy was responsible for the development and/or operation of over 6,000 retail sites in 33 countries through the licensing of its systems and management agreements.
In 2012 Roy bought SEI’s retail business and continues to provide retail related services to multinational oil companies, financial institutions, investors, and independent operators under the StrasGlobal banner.
Roy is a co-founder of the Vision Group Network, where top level executives discuss current and future issues and share their perspective with the rest of the industry, and a co-founder of Resources for Retailers (RfR), an initiative that provides information, support and, most importantly, actionable plans for small retailers.
Roy is a member of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) where he served as Vice-Chairman on its Executive Board and Board of Directors and was a founding member of the NACS International Board. Roy is also a member of the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS), and a past member of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) where he participated on the Legislative Committee, the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), and the Tribal Convenience Store Association (TCSA). He has also been a member of The Coca-Cola Research Council, the Consumer Goods Forum (formerly CIES), and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT).
Roy is the recipient of Convenience Store News inaugural 2021 Special Service award.
Roy is an Officer in the Priory in the USA of The Order of St John and is a member of The American Friends of St George and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter. Roy and Eva are based in Austin, Texas and they have four daughters, Selina, Chantal, Lorelei and Danielle. Along with other charitable endeavors, Roy and Eva focus on supporting global cultural and heritage projects.
The context: Dreaming of new ventures, exploring foreign markets, early mornings watching cities come alive, G&Ts at Bali sunsets, reading The Economist, long road trips with rock’n roll on the radio, or Texas two-stepping with his four daughters. Enjoying the moment.
Convenience Technology Vision Group
Ed Collupy, Principal
Collupy System Solutions LLC
Ed has more than 40 years of retail systems experience in the convenience/petro (The Pantry) and grocery (Purity Supreme & Shaw’s) retail channels, including as a consultant at W. Capra Consulting Group providing strategic, operational, and project leadership to retailers, emerging businesses, and technology companies. His involvement in the industry continues as a Facilitator for various groups and as an independent consultant through Collupy System Solutions. He has served the Convenience/Petro industry as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Conexxus and as a member of the NACS Convention Content Committee. Ed writes for trade publications, leads, and participates in on-line and in-person forums focused on retail technology. A New Englander at heart, he graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, attended Harvard’s Executive Education session, Delivering Information Services, and now living on Cape Cod he is very active in the community serving on various boards and committees.
Conexxus Vision Group
James Maxey, Industry Expert
Trinity University
James Maxey is an accomplished business executive and educator blending corporate and store level information systems management with a passion for teaching. James worked in the convenience store industry for over 27 years and now works at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas (7 years) where he teaches courses on advanced Excel modeling, data visualization, corporate finance, and personal finance. He has developed courses preparing students for certifications in Microsoft Excel underscoring his commitment to practical, career-ready education.
Prior to his current role in academia, James held senior executive roles in the convenience store industry where he led the Information Services department. His expertise spans vendor negotiations, systems development, corporate governance, cross-functional project management, and POS application development all focusing on corporate and store-level employee efficiencies and customer relationships.
When working in the convenience store industry James actively participated in technology leadership where he served on the NACS Technology Committee board of directors and led the implementation committee. James also presented at numerous industry conferences focusing on topics including pricebook best practices, data analytics, and B2B ecommerce.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, James’s contributes to his community by serving on the San Antonio Ronald McDonald House board of directors. He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston and a BBA in Marketing from Texas Tech University.
Electric Vehicles Vision Group
Nathan Niese, Managing Dir & Partner
Boston Consulting Group
Based in Chicago, Nathan currently serves as BCG's global leader for the Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage topics. He works with OEMs, suppliers, service providers, and ecosystem partners on strategies related to the energy transition.
Global Convenience Vision Group
Christian Warning, Founder and Managing Partner
The Retail Marketeers
Christian Warning is the founder and Managing Partner of The Retail Marketeers, a Hamburg (Germany) based consulting firm focused on retail convenience in its many forms. Christian, an alumni of the University of Hamburg , has for 13 years worked for Shell, eventually becoming the head of its billion-dollar non-fuel retail business in the German market. Following this, he oversaw the development of Germany’s largest convenience store franchise chain outside fuel stations at Deutsche Bahn (German railway). The Retail Marketeers are sought-after experts in the rapidly evolving roadside retail and mobility omnichannel business. The company uniquely combines a deep knowledge of daily operations with strategic insights while its boutique size guarantees focus and efficiency. Its ability to swiftly integrate retailer’s needs with vendor’s capabilities is at the core of a successful and cost-effective market-entry and transition strategy. For this, The Retail Marketeers create ideas and tailor-made processes, while putting clients in touch with just the right people to bring these ideas to life. Thirty plus years of hands-on industry best practice, together with an unprecedented network that encompasses manufacturers, wholesalers and pivotal company executives make the company a powerful ally for any convenience venture.
Christian is the chair of the Swiss Convenience Retail and forecourttech, the global leading pure tech focused matchmaking conference for the convenience & mobility industry.
Christian is the NACS Relationship Partner for German speaking markets (D-A-CH) and the proud host of the annual NACS Convenience Leaders Exchange in Hamburg. As an advisory board member to 2 global acting petrol station specialists he visits more than 1,000 gas stations and convenience stores in many different countries yearly.
Christian serves as the chairman for the mobility gastronomy vertical within the ICA Network in Germany. With more than 350 members, the ICA Executive Network is a strong community and sets standards as a networking platform where the top management levels of food service companies meet for regular events.
The Vision Group
Myra Kressner, Founder
Kressner Strategy Group
With over 40 years knowledge and experience cultivated by strong relationships, Myra Kressner brings value to the marketplace by developing and facilitating strategic engagement for suppliers and retailers in the consumable retail industries.
Myra Kressner co-founded Retail Insights, the food retail industry’s first b-b video publishing company in 1983, which was sold to Progressive Grocer in 1987.
From 1984-1994 Myra led account management for The Retail Marketing Group, a niche B-B trade advertising agency.
In 1994, Myra co-founded CSP Business Media, well know for CSP Magazine, CSP Daily News, Retail Leader of the Year, Convenience Retailing University, Outlook Leadership Conference, CSP’s Edu-Networking series, and even more.
In June 2012 CSP Business Media sold to Winsight Media, which sold to Informa Connect in 2023.
Myra founded Kressner Strategy Group in April 2016, bringing her expertise, deep relationships and thought-leadership to strategic and tactical planning in food retail industries.
Myra was SUNY New Paltz Foundation Board Executive Committee member and Chair of the Foundation Development Committee from 2016-2024, a frequent speaker at New Paltz Women’s Leadership Summit, and speaker and mentor at the Hudson Valley Venture Hub.
In 2018 Myra created the Kressner Autism Spectrum Program (KASP) Fund and Endowment.
Myra co-Founded the Vision Group Network with Eva Strasburger and Roy Strasburger in 2020, hosting quarterly virtual Vision Group meetings with convenience retail and fuel/energy/mobility leaders to debate issues, share experiences and brainstorm solutions. Vision Reports are shared throughout the industry at no charge, dedicated to the mission of “Sharing Today to Shape Tomorrow.”
Myra is the recipient of 2021 Top Women in Convenience and 2021 SUNY New Paltz Heritage awards.
Myra was SUNY New Paltz 2024 Commencement speaker.