Dive Brief:
- Murphy USA has added three new members to its executive team as the convenience retailer aims to evolve its company culture this year, President and CEO Mindy West said during the retailer’s earnings call on Thursday.
- West did not share any names, but according to Murphy’s website, the newest executives include Eric Bartko, senior vice president and chief customer officer; Keith Emery, SVP of fuels; and Scott Woodward, SVP of merchandising. All three executives took on their positions in January, according to a company spokesperson.
- West, who became CEO in January, is quickly putting her stamp on Murphy, which experienced a drop in net income for the third straight fiscal year, according to its Q4 2025 earnings report.
Dive Insight:
West emphasized during Thursday’s call that Murphy is pushing for “quicker collaboration” and “more nimble decision making” than it’s had in the past. Its latest executive shuffle, she said, aims to make responsibilities clearer, remove inefficient reporting structures and increase accountability.
A Murphy USA spokesperson confirmed the shifts in an email on Friday.
“My mission going forward is to unleash even more creativity and innovative thinking within our senior leadership team so that we can extend our value-creation journey well into the next decade,” West said in Murphy’s pre-recorded earnings comments on Thursday.
As SVP and chief customer officer, Bartko oversees the strategy, analytics and marketing teams for both the Murphy USA and QuickChek banners, according to his bio on Murphy’s website. He’s worked for Murphy during two separate stints, first between 2014 and 2018, and again starting in 2020, according to his LinkedIn bio. Some of his past roles have included VP of strategy and analytics and senior director of marketing and merchandising analytics.
Woodward, who is being promoted from VP of merchandising, per his LinkedIn bio, now oversees the merchandising and food and beverages businesses across the Murphy USA and QuickChek banners, according to Murphy’s website. Before joining Murphy, he spent most of his career with the since-defunct Kangaroo Express c-store chain.
Meanwhile, Emery now leads fuel strategy, supply and pricing across both banners, according to Murphy’s website. Emery has held numerous roles with Murphy since joining the company in 2011, including VP of retail fuels, VP of strategy and analytics, and senior director of sales and operations planning, according to his LinkedIn bio.
Besides Bartko’s, Emery’s and Woodward’s new roles, Murphy shifted the titles of multiple other executives. Renee Bacon, who was most recently SVP of sales and operations and chief merchandising officer, is no longer CMO, according to Murphy’s website. Meanwhile, Rob Chumley, formerly SVP and chief digital officer, is now SVP of innovation.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with input from a Murphy USA spokesperson.
