Fueling Up is a column from C-Store Dive offering a fresh perspective on the top news and trends in the convenience store industry.
7-Eleven's tumultuous first half of 2026 has been the biggest story in convenience retailing.
The retailer has delayed plans for a North American IPO, unveiled ambitious store remodeling initiatives, launched a sweeping reorganization that resulted in several executive departures, and rolled out a series of foodservice programs aimed at boosting traffic and profitability. Nearly every move has been framed as part of a larger effort to cut costs, improve margins and reverse sluggish same-store sales.
Yet amid the recent activity, one question remains unanswered: Who will lead 7-Eleven through it all?
Yes, in case you forgot — 7-Eleven is still looking for its next CEO in North America following Joe DePinto’s retirement last December after 20 years.
While no one outside the company knows exactly when the search for his successor began, I can’t help but wonder if the process has been underway for longer than six months. DePinto stepped down from parent company Seven & i's board of directors in March 2025, and it’s hard to not read that his departure from his role as CEO was looming.
"Him moving down out of that director role certainly could have been an indication that there was going to be this retirement announcement later in the year," said Kevin Stockslager, managing partner at Wray Executive Search, an executive hiring firm that focuses on foodservice, restaurant and hospitality organizations.
Still, Stockslager cautions against reading too much into the timeline.
Even planned successions can take three to six months for a company of 7-Eleven’s size and scope, he said. He emphasized that an external search for a company like 7-Eleven could take anywhere from five to eight months or longer from start to finish. The fact that this is the company's first CEO transition in decades could make the process even more complex.
“When you have a longtime CEO like that, it can potentially be a difficult first CEO search afterwards,” he said.
"[Joe DePinto] moving down out of that director role certainly could have been an indication that there was going to be this retirement announcement later in the year."
Kevin Stockslager
Managing partner at Wray Executive Search
But what's more interesting to me than the length of the search is the environment in which it's taking place.
7-Eleven is trying to reassure investors, employees and franchisees that it has a clear strategy for growth while searching for the executive who will ultimately be responsible for executing that plan. The restructuring, executive departures, sales pressures and IPO uncertainty all create questions about what kind of leader Seven & i wants.
For some candidates, those challenges could be a deterrent. But for others, they could signal an opportunity.
“There's a lot of different things that candidates are evaluating, one of which is company performance,” Stockslager said. “For some people, [the poor performance] might cause some concern. For others there might be a, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to turn around what could be a strong business unit here in North America.’”
That dynamic could also influence whether Seven & i promotes from within or looks outside the organization for 7-Eleven’s next leader.
Current interim co-CEOs Doug Rosencrans and Stan Reynolds remain the most obvious internal candidates due to their years of executive leadership with the company. If Seven & i still intends to pursue a North American IPO in the near future, tapping someone who already understands the business, its operations and its strategic priorities would be the safer path.
“I think it'd be a big challenge for somebody to come in externally and wrap their arms around the business while also potentially going through an IPO process,” Stockslager said.
But if Seven & i believes 7-Eleven needs a more significant reset, an outside hire could become increasingly attractive despite the learning curve.
The longer the search continues, the more it becomes about determining what 7-Eleven's next chapter should look like — and whether that future is best led by someone from within or a new leader brought on to chart a different course.
Until Seven & i makes that decision, convenience retail's biggest executive vacancy remains unfilled. There’s no doubt that the retailer’s ongoing challenges could draw out an already intense process — and dictate who ultimately lands the gig.
