Dive Brief:
- Joseph DePinto, CEO of 7-Eleven, will retire at the end of this year, according to a Friday press release from parent company Seven & i Holdings.
- Stan Reynolds and Douglas Rosencrans, president and COO of 7-Eleven, respectively, will serve as co-CEOs until a permanent replacement is hired, according to the announcement.
- The move comes at a time of significant change for 7-Eleven, as the North American division continues its plan to open more food-focused c-stores and execute an IPO next year.
Dive Insight:
DePinto’s departure marks a significant shift for 7-Eleven as it heads into 2026. With the company expected to go public in the second half of the year, its next chief executive will be tasked with leading the c-store retailer into a major new growth phase.
In addition to shepherding the company through an initial public offering, the new CEO will also have to keep the rollout of hundreds of larger, food-focused c-stores on track, as well as juggle other updates and improvements to 7-Eleven’s technology and food offerings.
“We strive to find, through a thorough selection process, the right person who can lead [7-Eleven] and help us work even more closely together as one Group,” Stephen Dacus, president and CEO of Seven & i, said in the announcement. “Our goal is to further advance our transformation efforts, unlock [7-Eleven’s] full potential, redefine convenience, and bring the 7-Eleven experience to even more customers across the North American market.”
Seven & i’s board of directors is working with a global executive search firm to find DePinto’s successor.
Dacus thanked DePinto for his years of service in the announcement.
“As CEO of SEI, he has led the significant expansion of the Group’s International and U.S. store network and its digital and logistics transformation, helping grow 7-Eleven into the world’s largest convenience store chain,” said Dacus.
DePinto has led 7-Eleven for more than two decades. He resigned from Seven & i’s board in March, after nearly 20 years in that role.
Before joining 7-Eleven, he was president of GameStop and held executive positions at PepsiCo and Thornton Oil.
“Serving as 7-Eleven’s CEO for the past 20 years and working alongside such an incredibly talented team has been the honor of my professional life,” said DePinto. “I’m grateful to all who have supported 7-Eleven and me the past two decades and helped grow this brand and our business into what it is today.”
Reynolds, who first joined 7-Eleven in 1997, took the role of president in 2023. He is responsible for the company’s finance, accounting, tax, M&A, strategy and transformation, according to the announcement. Before taking that position, he worked for 18 years as 7-Eleven’s chief financial officer. Other roles with the company have included vice president and treasurer, assistant treasurer and manager of corporate finance.
Rosencrans, who joined 7-Eleven in 2010, is responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining strategic plans to support store growth and overall profitability as COO and executive vice president. He’s also been 7-Eleven’s senior VP of franchise operations, VP and general manager of Canada, zone VP and VP of fuel operations. He previously worked at Mobil Oil and ExxonMobil.
