Dive Brief:
- Pilot Company has appointed Sean Marrero as president of retail, according to the convenience retailer’s website and as announced by Marrero via LinkedIn last weekend.
- Marrero, who joined Pilot in 2024 as senior vice president of food and beverage, now oversees Pilot’s retail strategy and execution, per his company bio. This includes network optimization, construction and maintenance, merchandising, foodservice and “all aspects of store operations.”
- Marrero’s promotion coincides with Pilot appointing company veterans Andy Lupo as chief commercial officer and Kari Irons as chief experience officer, according to Pilot’s website as well as LinkedIn announcements from both executives last weekend.
Dive Insight:
Marrero succeeds Pilot’s former president of retail, Brad Anderson, who stepped into the role less than a year ago after spending two years as the company’s chief operating officer. Neither a Pilot spokesperson nor Anderson responded by press time when asked to comment on the shift and Anderson’s departure.
Joining Pilot two years ago marked Marrero’s first foray into convenience retailing, according to his LinkedIn bio. He notably helped lead the company’s recent foodservice overhaul, in which it launched a new program that will be installed across Pilot’s full network of more than 900 travel centers starting this spring.
Marrero has more than 25 years of experience leading operations, finance, strategy and innovation across several industries, according to his company bio. He’s previously guided organizations through mergers and acquisitions, disruptive innovation, turnarounds, facility relocations and internal start‑ups. He’s also played a key role in brand creation and incubation, including helping launch four companies.
In his LinkedIn announcement, Marrero said he’s looking forward to supporting Pilot’s team members building for the future.
“It’s a privilege to be part of leading this great company and to make an impact alongside our thousands of team members across North America who show up every day with a deep commitment to our guests, our culture and one another,” Marrero said.
As executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Lupo now leads the commercial strategy across Pilot’s energy and retail verticals, according to his company bio. That includes accelerating growth, strengthening customer relationships and ensuring commercial execution is aligned with the company’s long‑term strategic vision.
Lupo, who joined Pilot in 2020, most recently served as chief technology officer. It’s not clear who will be taking over Pilot’s technology leadership, as the company currently has no CTO listed on its website.
Meanwhile, as SVP and chief experience officer, Irons is now responsible for overseeing Pilot’s brand strategy, creative development, integrated marketing efforts, loyalty and guest services, according to her company bio. She joined Pilot in early 2025 as VP of brand marketing after spending over two years as VP of global brand marketing for sports entertainment company Topgolf.
