Global Convenience Benchmarks 2009

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Convenience Conference - Wednesday 25th March

GCB 2009 Speaker Bios and Outlines
25th March 2009 Global Convenience Benchmarks

Main Convenience Conference page

Conference Chairman: Ed Burcher Senior Director of Foodservice, Petro-Canada

Ed has been in the c-store industry for over 28 years, in retail operations and marketing. His current role is leading the offer development and implementations of Neighbours for Petro-Canada. Previous roles at Petro-Canada included leading the operations support group, the recruiting and training processes for the 600+ store chain.

Prior to Petro-Canada, Ed spent almost 18 years at Wawa. In addition to operations roles, he worked with the marketing team developing the fresh food and foodservice offers.

Willie O'Byrne Managing Director, Mace, BWG Group, Ireland

Willie O'Byrne was appointed to the newly created position of Managing Director for Mace in September 2008. He is responsible for the newly expanded Mace operation in Ireland following BWG's acquisition of Mangans Wholesale. In total he manages over 290 convenience stores throughout Ireland encompassing both Mace and Vivo brands.

Willie joins BWG from O2 Ireland where he was Head of its Wholesale Business. Prior to that he held senior positions with Transaer, Irish Distillers and BWG - he was Cash & Carry Director with the Group in the mid-1990's.

BWG controls a network of more than 900 SPAR, SPAR Express, EUROSPAR and MACE symbol stores across the Republic of Ireland and the UK. The Group also operates a chain of 25 Value Centre Cash and Carry outlets and the BWG Foodservice business. BWG Group directly employs approximately 900 people.

Frank Gleeson Retail Director, Topaz
Presentation sponsored by Tokheim

Frank Gleeson joined Topaz from Statoil Ireland having previously held the position of Vice President Retail. Frank has spent most of his career working in the retail sector in Ireland and has been the chief architect behind the Topaz Brand Launch. Topaz have over 300 sites in Ireland which will all be re-branded by the end of 2008.

A graduate of the Irish Management Institute, Frank is also an International Committee member of NACS Global Forums and Chairman of the NACS/Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council.

"The Birth of a New Brand"

• The roll-out of the Topaz Brand
• Topaz’s advertising strategy and campaign
• What are the results in terms of consumer research, shopper awareness and consideration?
• Little Big Things: Customer Service, Innovation and Quality at Topaz

Lynn Hochberg Director of Product Development, Wawa Inc., USA
Mike Sherlock Director of Foodservice, Wawa Inc., USA

Lynn Hochberg has been with Wawa, Inc. for 13 years and is currently the Director of Product Development. She oversees the development of Wawa’s own brand items including packaged goods and foodservice products that are created by her team of culinary experts. Before becoming the Director of Product Development, Lynn held roles in Category Management focusing on Hot Foods. She has also led special project teams developing new equipment, procedures, and product platforms.

Prior to Wawa, Lynn worked as a Buyer for Charming Shoppes, the parent company of Fashion Bug. She has a BS from The Pennsylvania State University.

Mike Sherlock is the Director of Foodservice, responsible for Wawa’s fresh food and fresh beverage offer. He oversees short and long-term strategies to build the Wawa foodservice brand, which is nearly a $1 billion business.

Mike manages three category teams dedicated to growing the foodservice business, including Wawa’s core brands – coffee, SizzliTM breakfast sandwiches, and hoagies. Prior to Wawa, Mike held leadership positions in foodservice contract management with Sodexho and Restaurant Associates of New York. Mike has a MS and BS in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University.

"Wawa’s Marketing Brand Strategy"

Wawa is an innovative leader in the Convenience store industry with over 570 stores covering 5 States. 230 of these stores sell gasoline. Stores range in size from 2000 sq ft neighborhood stores to superstores at 5600 sq ft. on 2-acre sites.

Lynn and Michael will talk about the challenges and opportunities based on the current economic climate in the US market. They will also talk about the evolution of Wawa’s brand strategy. Lastly, they will address how Wawa balances new product introductions while maintaining a focus on core brands such as coffee.

David Richardson Global CR Networks Manager, Exxon Mobil

"Taking On Ireland's Toughest Convenience Challenges"

David Richardson has worked for ExxonMobil for 21 years, having joined Mobil's retail marketing department as a languages graduate from Bradford University. During his time at ExxonMobil, he has worked in lubricants marketing, supply and trading and in retail for a total of 14 years. He was responsible for the Esso UK and Ireland convenience business from 2002-2007 and lead a major business transformation including conversion to company operations and the roll-out of the On the Run format to over 100 stores.

Since early 2008, he has been a part of EM's Global Convenience Retail team, where is responsible for creating international networks of category managers and for migrating ExxonMobil to world-class category management processes and disciplines.

In his presentation, David will address the following:

• How does ExxonMobil view changing shopper behaviours in the Irish market and how can it make its Irish business recession proof?
• How can an oil company like ExxonMobil compete with local independents, major symbol groups and with supermarkets?
• How does a company like Exxon Mobil leverage its international scale in a market like Dublin?
• Examples of learning globally for local implementation: Canada Dark Tobacco, US Beverages

Ruth Norton Group Marketing Manager, ADM Londis

Group Marketing Manager of ADM Londis plc, Ruth has been with the Group for 3 years having joined in January 2006. Ruth has previously worked with Beamish & Crawford and prior to that, with Cork International, building up a diverse knowledge of the business on both supplier and retailer sides. Ruth holds a B.A. in Marketing and an MBA from Dublin City University.

"Building a Better Future in a Challenging Environment"

• How convenience is evolving in challenging times.
• How Londis is evolving to support retailers in particular through working in strategic partnership with suppliers to drive category performance and driving costs out of retailer businesses through our unique logistics and IT platforms.
• Tailoring marketing strategies to different consumers. Using a variety of media to engage different consumers with targeted messages.
• The multiples, media and discounters are focusing solely on price; how can convenience retailers compete against this?
• Londis retailers that are performing well: how are they achieving this?
• How Londis’ unique retailer ownership structure ensures that retailers have a real say in business development initiatives at an early stage.

Ray Kelly Marketing Director, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland

Ray Kelly was appointed to the position of Marketing Director for Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland in February 2004, with responsibility for developing and marketing the SuperValu and Centra brands, as well as Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland corporate marketing and communications. Ray had previously held the role of Centra Marketing Manager.

Ray is a graduate of University College Cork and holds an MBA in Marketing from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, USA. He started his retail career in the US with WaWa Foodmarkets in 1991.

He returned to Ireland to join Coca Cola Bottlers Ireland and held various roles, up to the position of Marketing Services Manager, prior to joining Musgrave.

Stream A: C-Stores, Discounters and The Recession: “New Consumer Behaviours”

Jonathan Rons Client Director, him!

"Dublin Shoppers are Changing: Are You keeping pace?"

Jonathan Rons is Client Director at him! His presentation focuses on the results of a recent shopper research study carried out for a leading Irish fuels and convenience retailer and 7 Irish impulse manufacturers. Interviews with 650 shoppers in 40 C-stores showed dramatic shifts in the Dublin market and this collaborative study led to some immediate changes in store ranges, layouts and communication. Jonathan’s presentation details Dublin shopper demographics, missions and purchase frequency and highlights shifts in the relative proportions of C2DE and ABC1 shoppers and significant changes in the transient migratory workforce. Results are cross referenced with programmes run by him! in the UK and Australia.

Over the past 40 years him! have conducted 15 million moment of truth shopper interviews and provided insight into shopper behaviour. Jon joined him! in August 04. He has spent the past fifteen years in the c-sector in both field and head office functions. He has worked for Waitrose, Conoco ( Jet ), Fuelforce and Budgens in either a business development or support role. Jonathan was the lead in this collaborative manufacturer and Dublin fuel retailer research project, to better understand the changing market place, changing shopper types and their needs.

Siemon Scamell-Katz Founder, TNS Magasin

"Shopper in the recession"

As economic uncertainty tightens its grip on shoppers’ purses, Siemon Scamell-Katz, Founder of TNS Magasin, will show why an understanding of shopper behaviour is indispensable for retailers – and manufacturers – dealing with the implications. He will argue that, by making shopper-based improvements that encourage shoppers to view them as reliable solution-providers, shopper-savvy convenience retailers are well-placed to benefit from societal change.

Greg Hodge Research Manager, Planet Retail

Greg Hodge is a Research Manager at Planet Retail and specialises in researching the convenience retail sector. Greg also leads Planet Retail's custom research division and spends much of his time presenting to clients and at conferences around the globe. Regularly travelling in Europe and North America, Greg has a great depth of knowledge in store formats and retailing trends.

With the economic crisis tightening its grip on consumer spending, the discount channel has taken the European retail sector by storm over the last 12 months. Greg will take a close look at the future of proximity retailing and synergies between convenience and discount retailing. Using case studies and Planet Retail?s vast depths of data, Greg will look at how convenience retailing may have to adapt to survive in price aggressive society.

Stream B: Local/Environmental and Cost Cutting Initiatives

Scott Annan Director, srcg Ltd

"Making Local Sourcing Your Point of Difference"

Scott Annan is a principle of srcg Limited, a retail strategy consultancy in Wimbledon, UK. Scott travels extensively in USA, Europe, Middle East and Asia and has 30 years experience as a retailer, vendor and a consultant. His specialty is visioning and helping clients develop retail strategy and capability. A srcg specialty is helping retailers and vendors collaborate to execute convenience-shopping missions that generate profit and long-term brand value. srcg’s Shape of Convenience® research shows that the fastest growing and most profitable convenience-shopping missions are Fresh Food for Now and Fresh Food for Later.

Scott will talk about the importance of local sourcing as a key differentiator. He will show case studies from Musgrave and SPAR retailers who have made a success of using local sourcing and local marketing techniques. He will also talk about promotion strategies in the current economic downturn and how these fit in with local themes. He will touch upon the opportunities for proprietary brand development which can also use local marketing techniques. He will also look at which categories best suit these kind of initiatives.

Joseph Bona President, CBX Retail Division

Joseph is responsible for directing the Retail Environmental Design practice at CBX. He oversees the creative process with a management style that stresses close client contact and attention to detail. His extensive work on six continents has given him a unique perspective on global trends but, more importantly, it has provided him with the practical knowledge and understanding of how to adapt and respond to local markets. Prior to CBX, Joseph was President and Chief Operating Officer at CDI Group where he worked for over 20 years. After the sale of CDI in 2000, he founded GroupRed, which was subsequently merged into the CBX family in 2005. He has been personally responsible for directing a wide range of strategic and creative activities for many global companies such as: Stop & Shop Supermarkets - Ahold USA, Topaz/reStore - Ireland, Petro-Canada/Neighbour's - Canada, Statoil - Scandinavia and Baltic's, Sunny Supermarkets - Japan, PetroChina - China and PKN Orlen/Stop Cafe - Poland, to name a few. His work has led to numerous international design awards and has been featured in a wide variety of leading industry trade publications.

Joseph has also been a guest speaker at several conferences and trade associations including: FMI and NACS - on home soil, IFLS Industrie Commerce in Paris, BestShop and Petro Trend in Poland and The International Gas and Convenience Conference in Germany as well as several functions in Japan.

Bob Cullen Membership Manager, Repak

For the past decade, Bob Cullen has headed up the membership function of Repak’s SME division comprising independent grocery, pharmacy, hardware, and hospitality outlets that account for two-thirds of Repak’s membership roll.

From a grocery trade background, Bob in a previous incarnation was concurrently CEO of the Mace retail and KeenCost Cash & Carry chains in Ireland during the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. His wealth of distribution trade skills, allied to a keen environmental nous, has contributed greatly to Repak’s success in delivering compliance with the Packaging Regulations to this trade sector.

Note: Repak is Ireland’s sole government approved Packaging Compliance Scheme set up to administer the 1997 Packaging Regulations and the achievement of Ireland’s EU packaging recycling targets.

Arabella Lacarta Senior Consultant, Insight Research

A graduate of the London School of Economics with a postgraduate diploma in Information Science Arabella has worked in research and consultancy for the last 9 years. Whilst with Insight Research Arabella has specialised in strategic analysis projects for the convenience and forecourt sectors. Arabella has recently developed the NACS Green Toolkit - a global best practice guide to developing a lower cost, energy efficient and greener C Store.

Arabella Lacarta presents the NACS Green Toolkit. This global, best practice guide to developing a cost effective, energy efficient and more sustainable operation for convenience and petroleum retailers was developed with case study contributions from Tesco, Asda, Musgrave, 7-Eleven, Nice N Easy, BP, Rutter’s, Giant Eagle, Quick Chek, and WH Smith. These retailers are cutting their costs and establishing Green credentials with consumers. The Green Toolkit looks at how to access these benefits. It examines key energy saving areas like lighting, refrigeration and HVAC and identifies green solutions that make business sense.

Stream C: Dark Tobacco

Dave Bryans President, Canadian Convenience Stores Association

Dave Bryans is the President of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association (CCSA) and the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA). Dave has over 35 years of experience in the retailing industry holding senior roles with major consumer goods companies in Canada. He continues to defend the rights of the small business channel in Canada and works diligently on issues that will challenge the future of the channel.

Foremost amongst these is the ban on tobacco display in Canadian C-Stores. Research in the Canadian industry suggests that the industry has lost between $70m-$90m of in-store display support. Tobacco is the biggest driver of footfall in convenience stores and the ban also probably hurts impulse sales in other categories. There are tobacco display bans on the horizon in the UK and Ireland so the subject matter is of great importance to the industry. Tobacco display bans will redefine the C-store sector for years to come, changing merchandising behind the till area.

Michael Davis VP Industry Relations, NACS

Michael is currently the VP, Member Services at NACS, The Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing, responsible for providing products, services, information, and advice to its 2,400 retail and 2,000 supplier members. He has over 15 years retail and consumer products management consulting experience with Clear Thinking Group, KPMG Consulting, and Garr Consulting Group, a subsidiary of Deloitte and Touche.

Prior to his consulting career, Mr. Davis spent a total of 14 years with retailers such as Toys "R" Us, Gap, The May Department Stores Company, and Jewel Food Stores. Mr. Davis is a past NACS Supplier member and was previously President of myCSTOREmatrix.com, a start-up Internet marketplace for the convenience store industry. He also was a former NACS Retail member having spent 10 years as the owner/operator of MichaelAngelo's & More, a convenience food and beverage retailer.

Andrew Meagher Managing Director of John Player & Sons Ltd

Andrew Meagher is Managing Director of John Player & Sons, the trading name for the Imperial Tobacco Group in Ireland. A marketing graduate from Trinity College Dublin he was a brand manager with Beamish & Crawford and held a number of positions including marketing manager and sales & marketing director before his appointment as managing director in January 2006. He has a wealth of experience in sales and marketing in highly regulated industries and is therefore uniquely skilled in seeking opportunities in legally restricted categories.

In his address, Andrew will focus on how retailers can maintain their sales from tobacco in a Dark Market. Based on the premise that smokers are more loyal to their brands than consumers of any other FMCG brand, he will outline how retailers can take positive steps to protect and maintain their tobacco sales after a display ban has been introduced.

Vincent Jennings, Chief Executive, Convenience Stores & Newsagents Association

Vincent Jennings was a retailer for almost 30 years prior to his appointment as Chief Executive to the Irish Retail Newsagents Association in 2004. Following a review of the Association, and its relevance to today’s shop owners, IRNA undertook a rebranding as the CSNA, and dedicated itself to increased lobbying and promoting issues of importance to its growing membership (currently in excess of 1500). Issues ranging from Waste Packaging, Consumer Legislation, Tobacco and Alcohol Laws, Local Authority, Labour Court and interaction with suppliers to our member shops have all come within the remit of the CSNA.

Vincent lives in Limerick with his wife and 3 children.

Ronan Barry, Head of Legal & Corporate Affairs, BAT UK & Ireland

Ronan Barry is Head of Corporate Affairs and Legal for British American Tobacco, UK and Ireland. Prior to that he held a number of regulatory affairs and legal roles inside both the tobacco and financial services industries. He is a qualified barrister. He has a wealth of knowledge and understanding of tobacco regulation and how it affects businesses and brands. He will be discussing what retailers will need to do to stay compliant when the new law is introduced and how they can work to limit the negative impacts of a ban on their businesses.

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