Mark Hawthorne
Mark Hawthorne, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer
Upshop
Mark is a senior food retail executive with nearly 20 years of experience at Safeway and Albertsons Companies, where he helped build enterprise capabilities across pricing, promotions, merchandising, loyalty, and shopper analytics.
He later served as a Partner at Nsight, advising grocery retailers and food retail technology providers on market strategy, operating models, and technology investments that deliver measurable results.
Mark is now Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Upshop, leading market strategy, growth, and value realization. He works closely with retail executives to support long-term planning and ensure technology investments translate into real business outcomes.
Douglas Haugh
Douglas Haugh, Chairman
TRUX
Doug Haugh has over twenty five years experience working in the energy and technology industries building businesses organically and by working with both buyers and sellers on dozens of M&A transactions. Doug has lead growth strategies in the retail convenience store, fuels marketing, supply & trading, renewable products, lubricants, technology, and distribution sectors.
Most recently, as President of Parkland USA from 2017 to 2022, Doug grew earnings by 15x and completed 20 acquisitions in less than four years. Doug currently serves as a Board Director of BioBlend Renewable Resources, a renewable bio-based products company that now has over 50 fully commercialized bio-based products. In addition Doug serves as board chairman for TRUX.
Doug began his career with Exxon, serving in marketing and business development. Previously as Co-Founder and COO of FuelQuest, Doug created supply chain management and tax automation solutions throughout the downstream energy industry for clients like Wal-Mart, Ryder, 7-Eleven, UPS, and Chevron. As President and Chief Strategy Officer of Mansfield Energy, Doug was the driving force behind Mansfield’s corporate strategy, acquisitions, partnerships, and alliances.
Dedicated to building a strong sense of community and continuous education Doug created Engineering Leadership, a non-profit foundation focused on educating and engineering future leaders. A passionate supporter of his industry Doug serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Convenience Stores.
In 2006, Doug was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Energy Technology, Houston and Gulf Coast Area. He was honored as a 2009 Clemson Alumni Entrepreneur by the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University. He was named to the CIO 100 in 2010 and 2011 by CIO magazine. In 2022 Doug was named Retail Executive of the Year by Convenience Store News.
Doug graduated Magna Cum Laude from Clemson University in Chemical Engineering and holds an MBA in Technology Management. Doug was born overseas in Scotland. He and his wife of 24 years, Athena, have lived all over the U.S. from Charleston to San Francisco, and have two children Asa and Gavin.
Scott Hartman
Scott Hartman, CEO
Rutter's
Scott is President/CEO of Rutter’s Holdings, operating 82 Rutter’s convenience stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia; Rutter’s Dairy, selling products in five states; and M&G Realty a commercial real estate holding company. Rutter’s is the oldest vertically integrated food company in the U.S. dating back 11 generations, 275 years to 1747. In 2022, Rutter’s was listed as the 77th largest convenience store chain in the US. Rutter’s convenience stores celebrated 50 years in convenience in 2018 and the dairy celebrated 100 years in business in 2021. Rutter’s was recently listed as the second largest privately held company in Central Pennsylvania.
Scott started in the family business at the age of 12 working summers. He received his Accounting Degree from George Washington University and MBA from Duke University. He was employed by Price Waterhouse as Senior Manager in Consulting from 1983-1990 and is a CPA.
Scott is past Chairman of National Association of Convenience Stores, Petroleum Convenience Association for Technology Standards, the Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council and Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association. Scott has served on Advisory Boards to companies including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. He has served on many local charity boards including York Memorial Hospital, The American Red Cross and Easter Seals. Scott has also been a guest lecturer at Boston University and national & international presenter at numerous food industry conferences.
Scott has been inducted into the Convenience Store Hall of Fame, Food Industry Hall of Fame, Convenience Store Technology Hall of Fame and Candy Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was also recognized by Convenience Store News as “One of the 50 Most Influential People in C-Store History”. In 2015, Scott was awarded the AJC National Human Relations Award.
Rutter’s is the only U.S. based convenience store chain to win the coveted International Convenience Retailer of the Year awarded in London each year. Rutter’s has also been the U.S. chain of the year, has been the industry Food Innovator of the Year winner 3 of the last 10 years, was ranked one of the 500 best mid-sized employers to work for by Forbes in 2021, has ranked #1, #1, #3, #2, #1 nationally for customer mystery shop experience the last 5 years by an independent survey company and was ranked the #4 gasoline brand in the U.S. in 2022 by the USA Today customer poll.
Scott resides in York, Pennsylvania with his wife, Cathy, and has two adult children, Sara who teaches public school in Brooklyn, NY and Christopher, who is Sr. Director of Fuels and Forecourt at Rutter’s.
Scott loves playing golf and has played 131 of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World. There are 204 courses that have ever been listed on the Golf Magazine list. He and his son, Chris, have played 122 of the top 100 courses together and 91 from the 2009 list. No parent/child has ever played one of the year’s list together.
Christopher Hartman
Christopher Hartman, VP of Fuels, Advertising, and Development
Rutter's
Chris is currently the Vice President of Fuels, Advertising, and Development for Rutter’s convenience stores, in York, PA, as well as President of M&G Realty. He is the 11th generation to work in the family business, dating back to the founding of the Rutter’s farm in 1747.
Chris grew up working in his family’s stores, beginning at age 13, while also attending and participating in various convenience store industry events for over 20 years.
In 2016, Chris moved to Washington D.C. to attend George Washington University’s Global MBA program, receiving his master’s degree in 2018, with a concentration in Finance. In July of 2018, Chris returned to his roots, joining Rutter’s as Director of Fuels and Forecourt, later adding Advertising, Construction and Real Estate acquisition to his responsibilities with the company.
In his free time, Chris enjoys travelling and golfing. He currently lives in York with his wife, Hilarie.
Christopher Hartman
Christopher Hartman, VP of Fuels, Advertising, and Development
Rutter's
Chris is currently the Vice President of Fuels, Advertising, and Development for Rutter’s convenience stores, in York, PA, as well as President of M&G Realty. He is the 11th generation to work in the family business, dating back to the founding of the Rutter’s farm in 1747.
Chris grew up working in his family’s stores, beginning at age 13, while also attending and participating in various convenience store industry events for over 20 years.
In 2016, Chris moved to Washington D.C. to attend George Washington University’s Global MBA program, receiving his master’s degree in 2018, with a concentration in Finance. In July of 2018, Chris returned to his roots, joining Rutter’s as Director of Fuels and Forecourt, later adding Advertising, Construction and Real Estate acquisition to his responsibilities with the company.
In his free time, Chris enjoys travelling and golfing. He currently lives in York with his wife, Hilarie.
Joseph Hamza
Joe Hamza, COO
Nouria Energy
Joe Hamza is a seasoned convenience and fuel retail executive with over 30 years of leadership experience. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Nouria Energy, where he has been instrumental in driving the company’s multi-regional expansion, operational excellence, and brand evolution since joining in 2015. Under his leadership, Nouria has emerged as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the industry, known for its customer experience, innovation, and people-first culture.
Before joining Nouria, Joe was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Tedeschi Food Shops. There, he led the company’s retail and foodservice divisions and spearheaded innovative sales and branding strategies that helped position the brand as a regional leader.
Joe’s influence in the industry extends beyond his executive roles. He has contributed to a wide range of industry and non-industry publications and is a frequent speaker at NACS events and government forums on key issues impacting the convenience, fuel, and foodservice sectors. He previously chaired the Education Committee for NACS and has served in advisory roles with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NACS-United Fresh, and Kraft Foods.
He currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketer Association (NECSEMA) and the National Advisory Group (NAG), where he continues to advocate for the advancement of the convenience and energy sectors.
Jeffry Harrison
Jeffry Harrison, Co-Founder & President
Rovertown
Jeffry first discovered his passion for entrepreneurship at a young age selling crafts at his father's dental office. While studying for a dual major in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the SIUE School of Business, Jeffry co-founded Rovertown. Rovertown is the convenience store industry's leading app platform powering apps for over 70 c-store retailers. Rovertown is agnostic and can integrate any loyalty, mobile ordering, mobile pay, car wash, etc. technology provider into your own branded mobile app.
Jeffry enjoys spending time with his wife and three children in Michigan and has a passion for music, golf, and bourbon.
Shultz Hartgrove
Shultz Hartgrove, President
Tres Picosos, Inc.
Shultz Augustus Hartgrove III, President
Shultz A. Hartgrove III is the President of Tres Picosos, leading the Company's mission to revolutionize Mexican food options in the retail sector. Established in Denver, the Company offers a diverse range of Mexican cuisine, from packaged burritos to fully cooked proteins, sides, and salsas.
Under Shultz's leadership, Tres Picosos has grown significantly, serving over more than 5000 convenience, grocery, and foodservice retailers across 49 states. His strategic vision and operational expertise have propelled the Company to the forefront of the industry, catering to the evolving tastes of consumers nationwide.
With extensive experience in retail and non-traditional channels, Shultz has achieved record sales and operational efficiency in previous roles. He served as Senior Vice President of Channel Development at Einstein Noah Restaurant, where he revolutionized the non-traditional platform, achieving significant sales milestones.
Shultz's career also includes senior leadership roles at Quiznos Sub and Nature's Bounty, where he drove sales growth in convenience and non-traditional channel segments. In 1994, Shultz founded Brand Management, specializing in consumer packaged product introduction. He relaunched the company in 2014, incorporating franchise development strategies to innovate the restaurant industry.
Robert Hampton
Robert Hampton, VP Technology Services & Innovation
Jackson’s Food Stores
Robert Hampton is the Vice President for Technology Services and Innovation for Jacksons Food Stores. Jacksons is a convenience store and tobacco store chain of over 360 company own locations in seven western states. Jacksons is vertically integrated owning and running both grocery and fuel distribution channels.
Robert joined Jacksons in 2015 and was named Chief Information Officer in 2017 and most recently Vice President. Previously, Robert ran a Center of Excellence serving as Director of Global Infrastructure and Operations for AECOM and held various other roles in the IT industry in both public and private sector companies.
Robert has a bachelor's degree in Engineering Computer Science from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He currently resides in Meridian, Idaho.