Will Welch
Will Welch, Director of Foodservice
Kwik Trip
I serve as the Director of Foodservice, supporting and developing Food Service District Leaders while driving consistent execution across food programs. My focus is on selling more food safely, strengthening leadership, and partnering across teams to deliver quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
Michelle Weckstein
Michelle Weckstein, Director of Food and Beverage Brands
Southwest Georgia Oil dba SunStop
Michelle Weckstein is the Director of Food and Beverage Brands at SunStop.
In Weckstein’ s role as Food and Beverage Brand Director, she mentors and fosters the development of a highly talented team of foodies with a passion for quality, and culture of excellence.
Michelle’s vast industry experience stems from a variety of roles in Human Resources and restaurant operations where she has created training and development programs, management leadership programs and operational systems for other companies that include Pizza Hut, Applebee’s, Winking Lizard Tavern, Inc., and Parker’s Kitchens.
Michelle offers diverse industry insight and is considered a subject matter expert by her peers in foodservice systems, executional efficiency and profitability, building operational consistency, understanding costs and margins, development of people, and product development.
Under Weckstein’s leadership, the “Eat’s Southern Cookin’” and “Eat’s Fresh on the Go” brands were created and implemented in 38 of the company’s locations. Weckstein is committed to continuing the growth of those brands while making the company’s non-traditional deli locations a destination for fresh, quality, grab-and-go food. She is driven to enhance the guest experience and raise the standard for exceptional food service within the convenience store industry.
Weckstein is a graduate of the University Akron and is a certified ServSafe Instructor and registered examination proctor through the National Restaurant Association.
Michelle and her husband Bob reside in Thomasville, GA and have two sons, Anthony and Alex.
SunStop is owned and operated by Southwest Georgia Oil Co Inc. based in Bainbridge, Georgia. The company employees more than 1000 people and operates 80 SunStop convenience stores in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. It is ranked the 86th largest convenience store operator in the country.
Mike Weber
Mike Weber
Upshop, CMO
Mike Weber has spent much of his career rooted in the retail experience, beginning with retail design and shopper strategy for mass merchandisers, grocers and c-stores. He transitioned from retail strategy to branding, leading strategy for leading organizations such as SAP, Microsoft, Aramco and GSK across London and NYC. After building and exiting a boutique design agency, Weber re-entered retail via technology to lead Upshop's marketing, partnership and thought leadership.
Christian Warning
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.
Joris van Brussel
Joris Van Brussel, CEO
Shell Mobility and Convenience
Joris van Brussel is the CEO of Shell Mobility and Convenience USA, the company that operates all the company owned stores in the USA. A Dutch national and international Shell veteran of some 20 years, Joris has visited service stations over 50 countries and has led businesses all over the world having been based in the USA, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland and the Netherlands. A retailer at heart, Joris has spent the majority of his career with Shell in Mobility working in local, regional and global roles across sales, operations, marketing and convenience retail in direct and indirect operations. This included leading one of the largest convenience retail businesses for Shell globally and being on the global convenience retail team as well as overseeing 58 Shell license markets and more recently serving as the head of Downstream and President of Shell Mexico.
Thomas Valeri
Thomas Valeri, SVP, IT
Majors Management
As SVP of IT, I bring 15 years of experience in the convenience store, fuel, and petroleum technology sector. My multidisciplinary background spans critical business functions including information technology, accounting, operations, and analytics.
Throughout my career, I have focused on leveraging technology solutions to drive business value across the convenience store ecosystem. My unique combination of technical expertise and broad business acumen enables me to bridge the gap between IT capabilities and operational needs, delivering solutions that enhance both efficiency and profitability.
Bonnie Trowbridge
Bonnie Trowbridge, Executive Director
Drive Clean Colorado
Bonnie serves as the Executive Director of Drive Clean Colorado, spearheading initiatives to ensure clean air for all by promoting clean transportation and equitable mobility. With extensive knowledge of the market, from consumer EVs and alternative fuels to heavy-duty manufacturers and fleets, Bonnie has a thorough grasp of vehicle incentives across the U.S. She co-chairs the Women of EVs Front Range chapter and is a Board member of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Transit Enterprise Board. Her background includes nonprofit development and fundraising, grant writing and management, and event management. Bonnie spent 11 years in public relations and marketing at Lightning eMotors, which manufactures electric powertrains for medium- and heavy-duty buses and trucks. She also managed programs at CALSTART, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing clean and efficient transportation, leading events like a California policy summit, industry leader workshops, and utility engagement programs. Additionally, Bonnie has worked as a development director for nonprofits in Denver and Washington, D.C.
Kelly Tracey
Kelly Tracey, General Manager
Vantage Fuels Pty Ltd trading as Bowser Bean
I am a seasoned HR practitioner with a robust background in operations, specialising in leveraging the power of people to drive organizational success. With over 20 of experience in the franchising and hospitality sectors, I have consistently demonstrated the ability to align human resources strategies with business objectives, resulting in enhanced performance and employee engagement.
Throughout my career, I have cultivated a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the franchising and hospitality industries. My ability to foster a culture of collaboration and accountability has been instrumental in driving results, ensuring that teams are not only well-equipped to meet operational demands but are also motivated to exceed them.
Most recently, moving into the Fuel Industry where I currently serve as General Manager at Vantage Fuels, more commonly known as Bowser Bean. Here, I use my knowledge and experience of Food & Beverage to enhance our Café offer that is partnered with our fuel and convenience model to ensure a sustainable business model for years to come. Within this role, I have applied my HR expertise to optimise workforce performance and enhance customer satisfaction. I have successfully implemented strategic HR initiatives that improved employee retention rates and streamlined operational processes. My commitment to creating a positive work environment has led to significant improvements in team morale, engagement, and productivity, demonstrating my belief that people are the most valuable asset of any organisation.
I use data-driven insights to inform HR strategies and operational decisions. Identifying talent gaps, developing training programs, and fostering leadership development, all while maintaining a keen focus on achieving measurable results and bottom line profitability.
With a proven track record of success and a genuine passion for empowering individuals, I am dedicated to harnessing the potential of people to achieve exceptional business outcomes.