Ken Wakabayashi, president and CEO of 7-Eleven International, the convenience retailer’s business outside of North America and Japan, will retire at the end of this calendar year, parent Seven & i Holdings announced on Tuesday.
Seven & i is in the process of selecting Wakabayashi’s successor, per the announcement. He has been with the company for over three decades.
“Since [7-Eleven International] was established in 2021, [Wakabayashi] has helped drive the growth of our international business, first as Co-CEO and later as President & CEO,” Steve Dacus, president and CEO of Seven & i, said in the announcement. “During this time, we have achieved important milestones, including the investment in 7-Eleven Vietnam and the acquisition of 7-Eleven Australia, laying a strong foundation for the next phase of growth in our international business.”
Wakabayashi joined Seven-Eleven Japan in 1994 and held roles in operations and corporate planning before moving to Ito-Yokado, Seven & i’s department store business, in 2002. Two years later, he relocated from Tokyo to Dallas to join 7-Eleven, Inc. as director of operations support. He was promoted to vice president of operations support in 2006 and named senior vice president of planning in 2015.
Before joining 7-Eleven International in 2021, Wakabayashi served as senior vice president and head of international for 7-Eleven Inc.
His retirement will not affect the company’s international operations or its commitment to master franchisees, Seven & i said. Dacus emphasized that international markets remain a core growth pillar for the company.
“We will continue to work every day to grow and strengthen the 7-Eleven brand and pursue long-term business opportunities in each market,” Dacus said.
