Ben Burds
Ben Burds, Managing Partner
Kunoco Food Mart
Ben Burds, Managing Partner of Kunoco Food Marts (a four store c-store chain in St. Lawrence County, NY). Our company also includes a fuel delivery business for wholesale and retail clients.
Scott Burchfield
Scott Burchfield, Chief Operations Officer
Impact 21
Chief Operations Officer
Strategic Planning, Organizational Leadership, Project Management, Optimization and Change Management, Revenue & Profit Improvement
With his broad experience in retail, grocery, petroleum, and convenience, Scott Burchfield, Impact 21’s Chief Operating Officer, has the tools needed to help Impact 21 clients. He utilizes his expertise and strategic vision to build and energize companies’ organizational infrastructures, product & services, processes, and sales & marketing strategies which lead to optimized results. A decisive customer and results-driven Executive, Scott applies his track record of driving revenue and profit improvements in challenging environments to client engagements. Scott builds strong teams by effectively communicating, gaining consensus, and creating/executing plans that deliver measurable results.
Scott believes in professional growth through team development. On the receiving end of this philosophy, Scott was mentored by a former District Manager (DM), developing him into the youngest DM in Eckerd history. In turn, he has guided many team members into senior leaders of highly successful companies through his various senior leadership roles. His aptitude for managing teams has served him well. As Vice President of Operations for Giant Oil, Scott was responsible for direct oversight of company operations, merchandising & Pricebook, regional and area management, store operations, dealer/tenant relationship, IT, fuels, maintenance, construction, and training. He was brought in to develop a company operated model, as well as a franchise model, for the company’s tenants. He helped develop a brand and a full assortment of product and services, developing policies and procedures, training program and materials, and a new staff of Area Managers, Category Manager, Price Book Manager, Training Manager and a Construction Manager to support the growth.
As Director of Strategy, Optimization & Acquisition Integration for Sunoco LP, Dallas, TX, Scott led the Strategy & Integration team through several other acquisition processes, including Sunoco’s Mid Atlantic Convenience Stores (MACS) acquisition. His Strategy & Integration team worked with all business units on process optimization, acquisition integration and overall business strategy, identifying opportunities, assessing investment and ROI requirements, recommending strategic plans, working with the business leaders to implement projects. As Vice President of Operations Services & Process Improvement for MACS, Scott provided Executive leadership in all Field Operations Support, Strategic Operations planning and budgeting, Loss Prevention and Risk Management as well as identifying and developing process improvements for retail and wholesale operations. Scott served in executive leadership roles for The Pantry Inc., Bed Bath & Beyond, Winn-Dixie, and started out in the industry by working his way from part-time employee at Eckerd Drugs to Senior District Manager.
Scott obtained both his Bachelor of Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration from Alameda University in his state of origin, Texas. He has contributed his time and talent as Board of Director for the South Carolina Association of Convenience Stores (SCACS) and the American Widow Project (AWP) Charity. Though born in Texas and raised in Singapore, Scott has called seventeen different places home over the years. He now calls Florida home with his four children where he spends some much-valued family time.
Joe Brumfield
Joe Brumfield, Sr Category Manager - Beverages
La Lomita Inc
Sr Category Manager for Packaged Beverages, Beer/Wine and Dispensed Beverages for La Lomita Inc. Based in Edinberg TX, La Lomita is the parent company of El Tigre Food Stores and Tex-Best Travel Centers located in Central and South Texas.
He is responsible for the overall sales and profit growth of those categories, develops promotional programs, oversees the product assortment, retail pricing, negotiates CMA agreement, and manages the vendor relationships. He has been with La Lomita Inc since May of 2022.
Prior to taking this role, Joe was a National Account Manager with Eternal Beverages. Prior to that role, Joe was the Packaged Beverage Category Manager for Circle K – Texas. Circle K acquired Valero/CST Brands in 2018, where Joe had previously been the Dispensed Beverage Category Manager since 2014.
Before relocating to Texas, Joe spent 14 years at BP Products North America in various roles, including Category Manager, National Merchandising Manager and Marketing Programs Manager.
Joe began his career with 7-Eleven (The Southland Corp) in 1986. His roles during his 14 years with 7-Eleven included Operations, Franchising and Merchandising.
Joe earned a B.S. in Business from the University of Redlands, Redlands CA. He is also NACS certified in Category Management, AMA Certified in Project Management and has completed formal CPCM Training through CMKG.
He is divorced and has a 24-year-old son. After living in six different states, Joe calls Boerne TX, (just outside San Antonio), home. His hobbies and passions include golf, concerts, and live music (Red Dirt and Texas Country) fishing and photography.
Lorne Brockway
Lorne Brockway, Chief Operations Officer
Fikes Wholesale / CEFCO
H Lorne Brockway has served as CIO of The Fikes Companies since 2015 and was VP of Information Technology prior to that. His background includes forty years spent in retail, distribution and ecommerce. He has worked on both the technology side and the business side, which provides him a different perspective of how technology is really used versus how it was intended to be used.
Jon Bratta
Jon Bratta, SVP - GM
Rock Solid Capital Investments
Jon Bratta is a 30 -year CPG veteran holding various Senior Leadership positions within Marketing, Merchandising, Category Management, and Private Brand Development for Convenience Retailers such as 7-Eleven, ampm, and Kangaroo Express, as well as West Coast Alcohol retailer: BevMo. Jon also spent nearly 5 years at Core-Mark, leading Marketing, Merchandising, and Advertising.
Joe Boyle
Joe Boyle, Chief Executive Officer
FRESHSTOP
Joe Boyle is the Chief Executive Office of FreshStop, a leading forecourt convenience store in South Africa - part of the Foo Lover’s Market Group. Joe began his career in Ireland, where he trained as an Apprentice Baker before emigrating to South Africa in 1983, Married with two children he settled in Nelspruit near his in-laws, he found employment with a construction company, contributing to the Sappi paper mill expansion at Ngodwana for nearly four years. His children's need for better educational opportunities prompted a move to Randburg, where his 3 child was born.
Entering the retail sector as a Bakery Manager at Hyperama Sandton, Joe quickly ascended to Specialty Food Manager. His ambition led him to a management training program that included an intensive two-year course akin to a mini MBA, culminating in a thorough 14-week retail overview with 17 challenging exams. Excelling in his studies, Joe graduated top of his class of 32, leading to a Buyer position at Hyperama's Head Office. He impressively grew his purchasing portfolio there from R1.5 million to over R100 million per month over six years.
In 1994, the he was appointed as Operations Manager at King Pie, a modestly sized franchise with 16 stores. Within three years, Joe ascended to the role of Managing Director as the brand expanded its presence to nearly 300 stores within South Africa and ventured globally with openings in Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and England.
Following King Pie's acquisition by Rebhold, subsequently renamed Mvelaphanda, the franchise met its profit targets ahead of schedule under Joe’s leadership. Simultaneously, sluggish growth and profitability issues at Royal Foods Services, another Rebhold subsidiary in Durban's contract catering sector, prompted shareholders to assign him to groom a new Managing Director for King Pie and oversee profitability and growth improvements at Royal Foods Services. Key to success was advancing the company's BEE rating and merging it with Sechaba Afrika. Joe’s efforts were instrumental in increasing annual turnover from R130 million to nearly R500 million over five years and reaching satisfactory profit margins. Cyril Ramaphosa, now President of South Africa, collaborated on this project.
While serving Royal Foods Services, they pursued an MBA from Wits University over two years and passed all courses but had to forgo the final paper due to a career transition.
In December 2004, Butterfield Bakery enticed Joe with an Operational Director role that included equity participation. Despite initial financial losses and challenging circumstances, his leadership led to a company turnaround. The goal was set by the primary shareholder to sell the company within three years at a value correlating with three to four years of pre-tax profits. This objective was met when Butterfield Bakery sold for more than triple its PBT after three years. After taking a two-month hiatus, Joe resumed his career at Fruit & Veg City in March 2008, taking on the role of Director for the FreshStop Brand, which initially included 14 stores. Since then, the brand has expanded to 330 franchised stores. The key goal was to develop and scale a robust business model designed to grow within the range of 300 to 400 stores throughout Southern Africa.
During Joe’s tenure with organisations such as Hyperama, King Pie, Royal Foods Services, and Butterfield, they actively participated in numerous professional development programs covering Marketing, Advertising, Sales, Project Management, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and Financial Management.
Joe has cultivated considerable networking connections and gained deep insights into his field by serving in various capacities across industry forums. His roles have included Council Member of the Franchise Association of South Africa, Vice President of the National Association of Catering Executives, Board Member of the Chamber of Baking in South Africa, and Treasurer of the Craft Bakers Association of South Africa. Additionally, he was appointed as a Board Member on the NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) International Board.
Agnieszka Bobrukiewicz
Agnieszka Bobrukiewicz, Board Member of Orlen Unipetrol, Dir. Non-fuel Segment for ORLEN S.A
ORLEN Unipetrol a.s.
AGNIESZKA BOBRUKIEWICZ is a member of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s Board of Directors, responsible for retail in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria, and serves as Executive Director for the ORLEN Group’s non-fuel segment.
She is a senior executive with 20+ years of international experience in fuel and convenience retail and FMCG across Central and Eastern Europe. In her current roles, she oversees P&L for ORLEN retail operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria and leads the non-fuel business across seven markets: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Lithuania, shaping the ORLEN Group’s non-fuel strategy.
Agnieszka has a proven track record in driving business transformation, strengthening retail brands and delivering growth across fuel and non-fuel segments, including convenience and food. She has extensive experience leading cross-border teams, launching new formats and executing commercial strategies in highly competitive markets.
She focuses on innovation, customer experience and building high-performing teams that deliver sustained business impact.
Alongside her executive responsibilities, she has for many years actively supported women in business through close collaboration with foundations and women’s professional organizations, advancing leadership development, inclusion and equal opportunities across markets.
Agnieszka Bobrukiewicz
Agnieszka Bobrukiewicz, Board Member of Orlen Unipetrol, Dir. Non-fuel Segment for ORLEN S.A
ORLEN Unipetrol a.s.
AGNIESZKA BOBRUKIEWICZ is a member of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s Board of Directors, responsible for retail in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria, and serves as Executive Director for the ORLEN Group’s non-fuel segment.
She is a senior executive with 20+ years of international experience in fuel and convenience retail and FMCG across Central and Eastern Europe. In her current roles, she oversees P&L for ORLEN retail operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria and leads the non-fuel business across seven markets: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Lithuania, shaping the ORLEN Group’s non-fuel strategy.
Agnieszka has a proven track record in driving business transformation, strengthening retail brands and delivering growth across fuel and non-fuel segments, including convenience and food. She has extensive experience leading cross-border teams, launching new formats and executing commercial strategies in highly competitive markets.
She focuses on innovation, customer experience and building high-performing teams that deliver sustained business impact.
Alongside her executive responsibilities, she has for many years actively supported women in business through close collaboration with foundations and women’s professional organizations, advancing leadership development, inclusion and equal opportunities across markets.
Ryan Blevins
Ryan Blevins, Vice President of Sales and Operations
Fresh Stop
Ryan Blevins is an award-winning Executive Culinary Strategist with over 20 years’ experience managing the full cycle of culinary product development across various sectors of the Food and Beverage industry. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations for Fresh Stop where he is pioneering transformative strategies proven to drive traffic, sales, and profits. Prior to Fresh Stop, Ryan spent many years in QSR, fine and casual dining leveraging competitive menu positioning and consumer insights to create unparalleled, craveable experiences, directing processes from ideation, testing, and analysis through launch. He has worked in kitchens all over the world including places like Italy, Thailand, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. He is a father of Daniel and Heather and husband to Isabel.