Fueling Up is a column from C-Store Dive offering a fresh perspective on the top news and trends in the convenience store industry.
All eyes are on 7-Eleven as it searches for a new chief executive officer.
In late December, Seven & i Holdings announced that longtime leader Joseph DePinto would retire at the end of the year, with Stan Reynolds and Doug Rosencrans, president and COO of 7-Eleven, respectively, serving as co-CEOs until a permanent replacement is hired.
The search for a new CEO comes at a crucial time for 7-Eleven, which is expecting to commence an IPO for its North American business that could come as soon as next year. With that milestone looming, the company’s next chief executive will be tasked with leading the c-store retailer into a major new growth phase, in addition to helping the company rebound after a difficult few years financially in the U.S.
Four months after publishing this rundown, we’ve updated the candidate list to reflect 7-Eleven’s recent moves as well as changes involving several execs we previously included. Following their exit from BP as part of the oil giant’s latest reorganization, Greg Franks and Derek Gaskins are no longer included in this list. Additionally, after taking on a new role as part of Seven & i’s latest restructuring, we’ve also removed Ken Wakabayashi.
But we’ve also added three new names to the fold with an entirely new category of candidates. With 7-Eleven’s search for DePinto’s successor continuing to drag out, here’s who we’re keeping an eye on.
The top candidates
Doug Rosencrans
If I were a betting man, I’d put my chips on Rosencrans becoming 7-Eleven’s next chief executive.
Not only does his status as interim co-CEO give him a leg up on most other candidates, but as COO, Rosencrans already has the most important role across the entire company: Spearheading the strategic plans to support growth and profitability for 7-Eleven’s 13,000 c-stores across the U.S. and Canada. That’s the main priority for the company’s next CEO.
Prior to 7-Eleven, Rosencrans — who has also worked with 7-Eleven’s fuel services and franchised store teams — held several leadership roles at Mobil Oil Corporation and ExxonMobil Corporation in fleet operations, category management, field merchandising, retail fuel pricing and retail operations and global strategy.
Stan Reynolds
The next logical choice alongside Rosencrans is his co-CEO, Reynolds, who has been 7-Eleven’s president since 2023 and part of the company since 1997.
As president, Reynolds has his hands in what feels like every area of 7-Eleven. He oversees finance, accounting, tax, mergers and acquisitions, strategy and transformation, construction and facilities management, shared services, real estate, procurement, information technology and the ongoing Speedway integration. It appears the only area he doesn’t have a role in is the store-level experience, which is why I’m notching him slightly below Rosencrans on this list.
Other current 7-Eleven executives
Raghu Mahadevan
Seven & i could also think towards the future with 7-Eleven’s next CEO by tapping Mahadevan, the company’s top digital and experience-focused executive. Similar to Rosencrans and Reynolds, Mahadevan also has his fingerprints all over 7-Eleven’s operations.
Mahadevan, 7-Eleven’s EVP and chief digital and demand chain and marketing officer, oversees the digital ecosystem for 7-Eleven customers, stores, franchisees and vendor partners. He has spearheaded the company’s mobile apps, delivery business and research and development operations. He also handles 7-Eleven’s logistics and distribution network and, since earlier last month, leads 7-Eleven’s marketing organization, including its loyalty and retail media programs.
Mahadevan, who joined 7-Eleven in 2018 and has more than 20 years of experience in digital product management, business analysis, marketing and operations, could help 7-Eleven press its advantages in digital operations while also upgrading its stores.
The Seven & i director
Christine Edman
Seven & i could also name one of its board members as 7-Eleven’s next CEO. Edman, the youngest member of Seven & i’s board and the only one with ties to the U.S. besides Seven & i CEO Stephen Dacus — she was born to Japanese and American parents — could be an option.
Edman would be a somewhat risky hire, since her appointment to Seven & i’s board last May was her first foray into convenience retailing. But Edman has years of retail chief executive experience, having previously been president and CEO of fashion brand Givenchy Japan and executive officer with e-commerce brand ZOZO. Additionally, she was also president of H&M Hennes & Mauritz Japan, the Japanese subsidiary of Swedish clothing retailer H&M.
At the time of her appointment to the board, Seven & i emphasized her “wide-ranging expertise” in global retail and "advanced knowledge and experience” on digital transformation and marketing. Add those capabilities to Edman’s career-long desire to spread Japanese culture and values to a global audience — something 7-Eleven is currently trying to achieve in its U.S. stores — and Edman could make a logical fit as the next CEO of 7-Eleven in North America.
External candidates with previous 7-Eleven experience
Ena Williams
7-Eleven could also look to former company executives who’ve gone on to grow their careers with other industry titans. One of those could be the current chief operating officer for one of the fastest-growing and top-performing retailers in the U.S.
Ena Williams, chief operating officer for Casey’s General Stores for the past six years, spent a decade at 7-Eleven earlier in her career, notably serving as SVP and head of international between 2015 and 2018. In that role, she led merchandising, marketing, logistics, human resources and financial analysis, in addition to global operations, licensing and expansion. She also spent 15 years at ExxonMobil and Mobil Oil — including overlapping with Rosencrans.
Furthering her candidacy case, Williams has also been a CEO. She spent a year leading the largest direct provider of technology-enabled medical equipment in the hospice industry, National HME.
Chris Tanco
After we initially published this column, multiple former 7-Eleven executives told me that Chris Tanco was viewed internally as the heir apparent to DePinto before he left the company in 2022 to join a Dallas-based private equity firm.
A former executive vice president and chief operating officer of 7-Eleven, Tanco oversaw franchising, store operations, digital initiatives, acquisition integration and the company’s Canadian business during a nearly 13-year run with the retailer. Prior to 7-Eleven, he spent nearly two decades in franchise and operations leadership roles with restaurant group Yum! Brands.
Now an operating partner with Princeton Equity Group, Tanco focuses on evaluating acquisitions and supporting portfolio companies’ growth and strategy efforts. He also sits on the board of directors for 7-Eleven Mexico — a connection to the company that could come in handy.
As 7-Eleven continues its search for DePinto’s successor, Tanco could make sense in the role given his deep familiarity with the company’s system and franchise operations, as well as his broader restaurant and M&A experience.
Well-known industry execs outside 7-Eleven
Donna Sanker
Sanker feels like a chief executive just waiting to happen, and the longtime industry executive is the only candidate on this list who is currently a free agent.
Sanker’s resume speaks for itself: 23 years at BP, two of those as chief operating officer for U.S. retail and CMO in North America. She also spent six years as president at Parkland, first leading the company’s Canada business and then its U.S. segment before spearheading its international division. She left Parkland after it was acquired by Sunoco last year.
Non- convenience retail execs who could be up for the challenge
José Cil
When 7-Eleven tapped DePinto in 2005, he had been president of Gamestop for about a year. That history suggests the company is not confining itself to convenience retail when it looks for his successor.
If that’s the case, José Cil could emerge as an intriguing candidate, especially as 7-Eleven continues to emphasize food-focused franchise growth.
Cil brings extensive experience in franchise and foodservice operations, including nearly two decades with Burger King, where he ultimately served as president, and four years as CEO of Restaurant Brands International. He currently serves as chairman of the board for Panera Brands and sits on the board of Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Those roles have given him experience managing large franchise systems, scaling foodservice businesses and working within international ownership structures — all of which align with the direction 7-Eleven has been taking. While he lacks convenience retail experience, Cil’s background fits squarely within 7-Eleven’s growing emphasis on food and franchising as core growth drivers.
Kathryn McLay
Another potential outsider worth watching is Kathryn McLay, the former CEO of Walmart International, who has been a free agent since leaving the big box giant earlier this year. McLay brings a combination of large-scale retail and global operating experience that could make her an interesting candidate.
As CEO of Walmart International, she led a team of 500,000 associates across 18 countries, and helped Walmart International significantly contribute to the long-term growth for Walmart. Prior to leading Walmart International, McLay was president and CEO of Sam’s Club, where revenues grew by 43% and millions of members joined during fiscal 2023, the last year of her tenure.
McLay has no direct convenience-store background, but hiring her would show that Seven & i is prioritizing retail execution and global operating expertise over industry-specific knowledge as it prepares for its next chapter.
