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.
Eva Strasburger
Eva Strasburger
President, StrasGlobal
CEO, Compliance Safe
Born in Tanzania, brought up in Vanuatu, Hong Kong and the Caribbean and educated in England, Eva Strasburger, brings an international perspective to everything she does. After graduating from Cambridge University, and a stint at Chase Manhattan Bank in London, she co-founded a publishing company with Roy Strasburger in Southern England before moving to the States in 1988. For fifteen years, she served as VP of International Client Relationships for Strasburger Enterprises, where she helped manage their convenience retailing clients in over thirty countries.
Eva is currently President of StrasGlobal. StrasGlobal had its own retail outlets until June 2022 and, for the last thirty years, has provided operational and infrastructure support and management consulting to retail operators. Eva is also CEO of Compliance Safe, a SaaS product that manages business-critical documents, and alerts retailers when permits should be renewed. Compliance Safe won CSP’s Retailer Choice Best New Technology Product in 2020.
Eva is co-founder of the Vision Group Network – where industry leaders meet to discuss current and future issues and share their perspective with the rest of the industry.
In 2020, Eva spearheaded the StrasGlobal COVID Task Force Team and the development of the COVID-19 Response Plan. Shared with retailers, the plan was featured by NACS, Convenience Store News, CSP and numerous state associations. Eva then headed up Resources for Retailers, a new initiative that provides information, support and, most importantly actionable plans for small retailers.
Eva is a member of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), and the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS), and a past member of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) and the Consumer Goods Forum (formerly CIES).
Convenience Store News named Eva as a senior-level leader in their 2021 Top Women in Convenience Awards.
Eva, is an Officer on the Board of Directors of the Caius Foundation of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, an Officer of the Priory in the USA of The Order of St John and Vice-President of The American Friends of St George’s and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter. She is based in Austin, Texas with her husband, Roy, and they have four daughters: Selina, Chantal, Lorelei and Danielle. Along with other charitable endeavors, Eva and Roy focus on supporting global cultural and heritage projects.
The context: A unique Anglo-Goan background and perspective from a bygone era; a love of the exotic in design and beauty; a connoisseur of boutique hotels and travel itineraries; an aficionado of late-night dinner debates; a passion for collecting artifacts and their stories; a collector, connector, and disseminator of information; an initiator of creative experiences and an enthusiastic participator in any cultural ventures.
Kevin Smartt
Kevin Smartt, CEO
TXB Stores
COMPANY:
TXB, previously Kwik Chek Food Stores, Inc., is a chain of 50 convenience stores across Texas and Oklahoma, offering unique, fresh-made food and a robust line of TXB private label products. Kwik Chek’s rebrand to TXB (short for Texas Born) emphasizes the Texan roots and values the brand was built upon – authenticity, hospitality and integrity. Kevin is also the managing member of Taylor-Smartt, LLC., and an investment company that owns a variety of companies in industries ranging from fuel, propane, technology, banks, real estate and food production.
KEVIN’S BACKGROUND BUSINESS:
Beyond serving as the CEO of TXB for more than two decades, Smartt also serves as Chairman for Conexxus, Chairman of the Coca-Cola National Retailing Research Council, serves on the Board of Directors for P97 Networks, Inc., a technology company, and was the 2020-2021 NACS Chairman. Smartt continues to widen his professional board involvement, and has an interest in serving on boards involved in the banking, technology and healthcare industries.
Keith Slater
Keith Slater, Chief Financial Officer
Family Express Corp
Successful executive finance and operations leader with over 30 years’ experience leading organizations in the retail, energy, transportation, and restaurant industries. Extraordinary cross-functional leadership roles over budgeting, financial planning and analysis, operations, accounting, category management, procurement, supply chain, transportation, real estate, and information technology. A strategic, customer-focused, and change-oriented executive with a proven track record of driving sales, operational improvement, operating income, process enhancement, simplification, and best-in-class operations. Strong expertise in leadership, financial management, organizational structure, capital management, team development, and mergers & acquisitions.
Joe Sheetz
Joe Sheetz, Executive Vice Chairman
Sheetz, Inc
Joseph S. Sheetz was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania where he grew up working with his father, Joseph M. Sheetz, at the family-owned Harshbarger Dairy. Once the dairy was sold, the elder Joe began working for the other family business founded by his brother, Sheetz, Inc. The younger Joe later worked for Sheetz in various accounting and operations functions during high school and college. Sheetz, Inc. is a family owned business with approximately 25,000 employees operating over 660 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Known for its award winning proprietary food service program, the Company has annual revenues of over $9 billion and is currently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 75th largest private company in the United States. Sheetz has also been ranked in the Fortune best 100 companies to work for list during 7 of the last 8 years, currently coming in at #33.
Joe graduated from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in economics in 1989. After graduation, Joe worked as an employee benefit and pension plan consultant for CGI Consulting in the suburban Philadelphia area, specializing in designing benefit and retirement plans for major corporations. In 1995, Joe returned to Sheetz as Director of Personnel and later became Executive Vice President of Finance in June of 1996. In this position, he led all finance, accounting, technology, real estate, and risk management functions and was an active member of the executive committee. He served as both President & CEO of Sheetz from 2013 thru 2018, CEO from 2018 thru 2021, and is currently Executive Vice Chairman.
Joe currently serves on the Economic and Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Advisory Board for the Baker Retailing School at the Wharton School of Business, and as an Advisory Board Member for M&T Bank. He is former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Convenience Stores and serves on the Executive Committee of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation where he was Chairman from 2009-2011. He is also former Chairman of Mount Aloysius College. Joe is a frequent guest speaker at business schools and family business conferences. He resides in Altoona, Pennsylvania with wife Wendy.
Mark Samuels
Mark Samuels, EVP of Convenience Retailing
Dash In/The Wills Group
Mark Samuels is a Retail Executive with over 35 years of experience in the Foodservice, Convenience, and Retail industries. Mark currently serves as Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing for the Wills Group and leads the Company’s customer facing businesses that include Dash In Food Stores and Splash In Eco Car Wash.
During Mark’s 26-year career at the Wills Group, he held several key leadership roles within the organization. Over the past decade, the Wills Group has been focused on transforming its portfolio of Brands. Dash In, under Mark’s leadership, has focused on creating a disruptive convenience concept based on a standardized building design, restaurant quality food and beverage, and a new visual identity; all of which will enable rapid growth. Additionally, Splash In has focused on delivering a superior wash experience for our guests that exists as part of an integrated offering with Dash In Fuel and Convenience, as well as stand-alone Express Exterior wash facilities.
Mark Holds an Executive MBA from Loyola College of Maryland and undergraduate degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Business Management, and Psychology.
Donald Rhoads
Donald Rhoads, President/CEO
The Convenience Group, LLC
COMPANY: The Convenience Group, LLC owns and operates 6 convenience stores and franchises 3 convenience stores in Southwest Washington state. The chain was awarded 2018 and 2024 Washington State Retailer of the Year by the Washington Food Industry and Independent Grocers Association.
DON’S BACKGROUND BUSINESS: Don is the owner and CEO of The Convenience Group, LLC and has led the company in strategic growth, planning and establishment of long-term goals and policies, and building the company’s asset portfolio. Don began his convenience store career in 1989 as President of the Quick Shop Minit Mart, a 65-unit convenience store chain located in Vancouver, Washington. Don is past Chairman of National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Chairman of NACS Political Engagement Committee and serves on the NACS Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and financial oversight to the association. Don is past President and founding member of Washington Association of Neighborhood Stores.
EDUCATION: St. Mary’s College; Western Washington University; National Development Council; NACS Financial Leadership Program, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; NACS Marketing Leadership Program, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, NACS Innovation Leadership Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NACS Executive Leadership Program at Dyson Cornell College of Business.
FAMILY: Don and Jennifer have two children.
ACTIVITIES: Family, travel and outdoor activities.
Darren Rebelez
Darren Rebelez, Chairman, President and CEO
Casey's General Stores
Darren Rebelez is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Casey’s (NASDAQ: CASY), a FORTUNE 500 company operating over 2,600 convenience stores throughout the Midwest and South. As CEO of the third largest convenience retailer and fifth largest pizza chain in the United States, Rebelez offers a wealth of experience from his career as a senior executive in the convenience, restaurant and fuel industries.
Under Rebelez’ leadership, Casey’s has undergone a remarkable transformation, including several significant milestones: a brand modernization/reimaging, closing several significant acquisitions (including the largest in the company’s history), a digital transformation including the first rewards platform that currently boasts over 7.5 million members, launching a new e-commerce platform, relaunching the company's private brand business, and
publishing the company’s first ESG report.
Prior to Casey’s, Rebelez served as the President of IHOP Restaurants, a unit of Dine Brands Global, Inc.. While leading IHOP, the company grew to become the largest full service restaurant brand in the USA. Previous to IHOP, Rebelez worked at 7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience store chain, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Before 7-Eleven, Darren held numerous leadership roles within ExxonMobil Corporation.
Preceding his civilian career, Darren was an Army Ranger and Gulf War veteran. A native of San Diego, he is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Area Studies. He went on to also earn an MBA from the University of Houston.
In addition to his role at Casey’s, Darren serves on the board of directors of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), and as an advisory board member for the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.
Jonathan Polonsky
Jonathan Polonsky, CEO
Plaid Pantry
Jonathan Polonsky is the current Chairman and CEO of Plaid Pantry, a regional convenience store company headquartered in Portland, OR. Plaid Pantry owns and operates 107 stores in Oregon and Washington. Mr. Polonsky joined Plaid Pantry in July 2012 as COO, was promoted to President in 2016 and to CEO in 2018. Prior to his experience at Plaid, Mr. Polonsky spent 12 years with a NW packaging distributer as a sales executive. His other career experience includes 7 years as an executive with May Company Department Stores and 4 years as a co-owner of a regional retail store safety & sanitation distribution company. Mr. Polonsky has a Bachelor Degree from the University of Washington.
Outside of work, Mr. Polonsky enjoys spending time outdoors across the Pacific Northwest, cycling, playing handball, and exploring hard to get to locations courtesy of his private pilot’s license. Mr. Polonsky lives in Portland, OR with his wife, Jessica.