Adam Schwartz
Adam Schwartz is the EV Charging Program Manager at Kwik Trip, Inc., where he leads the company’s efforts in managing and expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. With over a decade of experience at Kwik Trip, Adam has built a diverse background in customer service, sustainability, and energy management.
Adam’s career at Kwik Trip began as a Guest Service Co-worker, where he developed a strong foundation in customer engagement and company operations. Over time, his role evolved as he took on more responsibilities, eventually becoming the companies first Sustainability and Energy Specialist. In this position, Adam focused on energy efficiency projects and sustainability initiatives, which led him to his current role overseeing the company’s EV charging program.
Art Sebastian
Art Sebastian is the Founder and CEO of NexChapter, a growth advisory firm helping convenience retailers, brands, and technology companies navigate the future of retail. With over 25 years of experience in retail and consumer packaged goods, he brings deep industry expertise and a passion for innovation.
Before launching NexChapter, Art spent five years at Casey’s, where he led Digital Transformation and built the company’s Omni-channel Marketing organization. He helped launch Casey’s loyalty program, e-commerce business, digital marketing efforts, and retail media network—laying the foundation for a modern customer experience. Prior to that, he led Digital Shopping and E-Commerce at Meijer and held leadership roles at Kraft Foods, shaping category and brand strategy. Beyond NexChapter, Art advises technology startups and serves on the Shoptalk Advisory Board. He was recently named Chairman of the C-StoreTEC Advisory Board, a new CSP initiative focused on advancing technology in convenience retail.
Brad Sexton
Brad is a distinguished technology and information security executive with over 25 years of experience across a broad spectrum of industries, including military, civilian government, law enforcement, higher education, entertainment, fine dining, and convenience stores.
In his role as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Terrible’s, Brad leads the formulation and execution of the company’s technology strategy, ensuring alignment with the organization’s overarching goals to drive innovation, operational excellence, and digital transformation. He oversees the company’s entire IT ecosystem, ensuring the infrastructure is secure, scalable, and resilient, while championing enterprise-wide modernization initiatives. Brad is a trusted leader who excels in managing cross-functional teams, fostering strategic vendor relationships, and guiding large-scale system implementations. He collaborates closely with executive leadership to identify opportunities for technological advancements, implement best practices, and maintain rigorous data governance and cybersecurity compliance, all of which contribute to the company’s sustained growth and success.
Previously, Brad served as Director of Information Security Operations at Wynn and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Desert Research Institute (DRI). He holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland and is certified in CISSP, CISM, and CDPSE.
A resident of Las Vegas for the past 24 years, Brad previously resided in Germany for over 10 years.
Brian Nay
Brian Nay began his career at RaceTrac over 12 years ago at one of the store locations, gradually advancing through the operations arm before moving to the corporate office. There, he focused on the support center, improving the work order management system and implementing new operations features.
Currently, Brian serves as the Director of Field Services at RaceTrac, where he collaborates with store support teams to ensure efficient operations. RaceTrac, a regional leader in convenience and fuel retail with over 800 stores in 13 states, benefits from Brian's expertise as it ranks as the 18th largest privately held company in the United States.
Chris Hartman
Chris is currently the Vice President of Fuels, Advertising, and Development for Rutter’s convenience stores, in York, PA, as well as President of M&G Realty. He is the 11th generation to work in the family business, dating back to the founding of the Rutter’s farm in 1747.
Chris grew up working in his family’s stores, beginning at age 13, while also attending and participating in various convenience store industry events for over 20 years.
In 2016, Chris moved to Washington D.C. to attend George Washington University’s Global MBA program, receiving his master’s degree in 2018, with a concentration in Finance. In July of 2018, Chris returned to his roots, joining Rutter’s as Director of Fuels and Forecourt, later adding Advertising, Construction and Real Estate acquisition to his responsibilities with the company.
Chris currently lives in York with his wife, Hilarie. In his free time, he enjoys traveling the world and golfing. Chris and his father recently completed their 17-year journey to play the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World in 2023.
Dan Trotzer
As Executive Vice President of Industry at GSTV, Dan Trotzer leads corporate strategy and development with hardware and network partners, key retailers and industry stakeholders. With 15+ years’ experience in forecourt media, Dan has helped drive the growth and maturation of the sector as a senior leader at Outcast, and led the integration of Verifone Pump Media and Gas Station TV to merge and become what is now GSTV.
Dan lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn State University, and enjoys a broad range of adrenaline inducing outdoor activities.
Dave Powell
With 28 years of experience in the vehicle fueling industry, Dave Powell is an expert in designing fueling systems, project management, vendor coordination, and navigating regulatory requirements. He has a proven track record of achieving successful outcomes in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and has been instrumental in the development of nationally recognized, best-in-class retail fueling facilities.
Dave is deeply committed to surpassing excellence in all aspects of his work and making a positive impact on both the industry and the lives of others.
Erik Johnson
Erik Johnson is the Forecourt Director at Maverik, Inc., a chain of retail convenience stores throughout the United States and based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Throughout his career, Erik has filled senior management positions in traditional and alternative fuels related technologies, POS systems, fuel systems design and construction as well as environmental compliance.
Prior to joining Maverik, Johnson worked at Flying J Inc. He studied at Utah State University and has a B.A. in Business Administration and a M.S. in Information Technology.
Erik and his wife have 4 amazing daughters.
Frank Gleeson
Frank is actively involved in the convenience industry, NACS, and is the host of the popular Future of Convenience podcast. He is the Chairman of Irelands National Oil Reserve Agency and a trustee of IBEC which is Irelands Business representative group. Frank was recently President and CEO of Aramark Northern Europe, one of the largest integrated providers of food services, facilities management, retail operations and property services in the region. Gleeson joined Aramark in 2013 from Topaz Energy Group where he was retail director. Prior to that, he served in senior leadership positions for Statoil, O’Brien’s Off-Licenses, and began his retail operations career in Xtra-Vision Ireland.
Since starting out as a teenager in family restaurants and cafés, Gleeson has always placed a significant focus on the hospitality and customer-service side of business. He truly believes in the power of terrific customer experience, as well as the importance of on-the-job learning and development. Frank was the first European-based NACS Chairman and recipient of the 2019 NACS European Convenience Leader of the Year award.
Gilles Raymond
As a seasoned Information Technology leader with over 30 years of experience within the Retail industry. Gilles currently serves as Director of Retails Systems for North America at Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc (Circle K). In his role, Gilles and his team are responsible for updating, maintaining and supporting retail technology across 7800 locations in US and Canada, with multiple configurations.
Gilles has been with ACT since August 2018 and is based in Laval, Quebec, Canada. With a renewed focus on customers first, his team is there to partner with operational teams to provide the ultimate in customer experience.
Alimentation Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and mobility, operating in 31 countries and territories, with more than 16,800 stores. With it’s well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, they are one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and we are a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland.
Chef Jason Lord
Chef Jason Lord has been a prominent figure in the Massachusetts culinary scene since high school. With a career spanning decades, he has held Executive Chef positions at esteemed establishments, including East Coast Grill, Formaggio South End, and Casa Blanca. Jason then spent five years at Season to Taste, a renowned farm-to-table catering company dedicated to fostering relationships with local farmers and fishermen to deliver the freshest seasonal ingredients.
As the Corporate Chef for Alltown Fresh®, Jason leads menu development, supply chain strategy, staff training, quality assurance, and cost management. He also plays a key role in brand representation, engaging in media appearances, interviews, podcasts, and live culinary demonstrations to showcase Alltown Fresh’s commitment to fresh, high-quality food.
Outside the kitchen, Jason enjoys grilling in his backyard and attempting to convince his two daughters to join him for fishing trips in Westport, MA.
Josh Linkner
Josh Linkner, a New York Times bestselling author, is a rare blend of business, art, and science. On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.
While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. He’s been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world.
His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way(TM) through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.
Kyle Schwarz
Kyle Schwarz is the Director of U.S. Media at Conagra Brands, a leading CPG company with a portfolio of nearly 100 brands, including Slim Jim, Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP, Birds Eye, DAVID Seeds, and Healthy Choice. He leads all paid media strategy and activation across the enterprise, working closely with brand teams, behavioral scientists, media agencies, shopper marketing teams, and creative partners to bring campaigns to life. His role centers on translating audience insights into media strategies that drive impact across a variety of channels and consumer touchpoints.
Before joining Conagra, Kyle spent over a decade at Publicis Groupe (Zenith and Spark Foundry), developing media strategies for brands such as Molson Coors, Nestlé, Kohl’s, and Caesar’s Entertainment. He brings a blend of agency and brand-side experience, with a passion for driving results through thoughtful planning, audience understanding, and impactful placements.
Samir Mayekar
Samir Mayekar is an accomplished leader with a track record of driving innovation and impact across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. He serves as the Managing Director of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago where he plays a pivotal role in advancing the University’s innovation, technology commercialization, entrepreneurship, and partnership priorities. The Polsky Center has supported the creation of over 750 companies still operating today that have raised over $10B of capital.
Most recently, Samir was deputy mayor for the city of Chicago, where he focused on economic and neighborhood development. He managed 9 city departments and sister agencies and a staff of over 3000 on behalf of former Mayor Lightfoot. Previously he served in the U.S. government where he was part of the White House’s national security team and on the executive staff at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
Samir also co-founded and served as CEO of NanoGraf Corporation, a global manufacturer of advanced materials for the lithium-ion battery industry that has raised over $200 million in funding and was spun out of Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University. He holds a B.A. and M.B.A. from Northwestern, where he served as a trustee, and he is active in the Chicago civic community, serving on the boards of Commercial Club, Civic Federation, Lyric Opera, Ravinia Festival, and Millennium Bank. He is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and is an alumnus of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship and the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.
Stephanie Sikorski
In late 2024, Stephanie was appointed NACS vice president of strategic initiatives and CEO of TruAge. In this newly developed role, Stephanie oversees the advancement and growth of new industry-wide initiatives across NACS, which currently supports a growing portfolio of solutions, services and companies like TruAge, the NACS Foundation and PROSPR.
Stephanie has been with NACS for 11 years. Previously, she served as NACS VP of marketing, leading the development of integrated marketing campaigns and executing strategies to effectively grow its global brand and advance convenience and fuel retailing. Stephanie also oversaw the reimagination of the NACS Foundation and development of its 24/7 Day, an annual celebration (July 24) of first responders that now features more than 80 brands and represents 30,000 convenience stores nationwide.
Richard Taylor
Richard is a Senior Manager, currently playing a role as Digital Lead in Accenture’s North America Fuels and Convenience Retail Practice and has spent the last ~14 years working with 20+ fuels and convenience retailers around the world. Richard is deeply passionate about Retail Site System Technology and focuses on empowering his clients with value-driven initiatives that position them to seize future opportunities and stay ahead of emerging trends. His experience stretches across site technology, large scale deployments, site support, AI / Generative AI and payments spanning Company Owned & Operated, Branded Wholesalers, Dealer, and Franchisee models.
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses build their digital core, optimize their operations, and accelerate revenue growth —creating tangible value at speed and scale - with over 780,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. To learn more about Accenture, please visit www.accenture.com.
Wendy Clark
Wendy is a partner and president of the Consello Group. Before joining Consello, Wendy was the Global Chief Executive of Dentsu International, a leader in media, customer experience management and creative solutions, where she led the company’s transformation into a worldwide integrated network operating across 145 global markets and employing over 45,000 people.
Before joining Dentsu, Wendy also served as the CEO for DDB Worldwide.
Previously she served as President, Sparkling Brands & Strategic Marketing for Coca-Cola North America; and as Senior Vice President, Advertising for AT&T.
Called “one of the most important women in advertising” by Advertising Age, Wendy has earned numerous recognitions over the course of her career, including the “Matrix Award” from New York Women in Communications, and the She Runs It “Advertising Woman of the Year” award; she was also named the “Brand Refresher” on the Fast Company top ten list of “Innovative Business Disruptors.”
