Yesway Appoints Ray Harrison as Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer
Yesway, one of the nation’s fastest-growing convenience store chains, is proud to announce the appointment of Ray Harrison as its new Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer. Harrison, an accomplished retail executive with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, merchandising, category management and retail operations, will join the company’s senior leadership team effective immediately.
Most recently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Cal’s Convenience, Harrison led marketing, merchandising, category management, loyalty programs and communications for more than 500 retail locations. He spearheaded the design and launch of a highly successful digital loyalty program, drove private brand share penetration and implemented innovative omnichannel marketing initiatives across loyalty, social media, delivery and in-store media networks.
Harrison’s career also includes nearly two decades with Brookshire Grocery Company, where he rose from store leadership into executive roles, including Vice President of Category Management. His contributions to category management, private label development and promotional strategy earned him numerous industry honors, including being named Category Manager of the Year by PepsiCo.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ray to our senior management team,” said Tom Trkla, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yesway. “Ray is an exceptional leader with a proven ability to translate strategic vision into measurable results. His deep industry expertise, innovative mindset and commitment to excellence make him the ideal choice to lead our marketing and merchandising efforts as we continue to grow and evolve. I look forward to the many innovations and accomplishments that will come under his leadership.”
“Joining Yesway is an honor and an exciting opportunity. I am so pleased to partner with the team to deepen our connection with guests at our Yesway and Allsup’s stores, elevate our foodservice and private-brand offerings and accelerate data-driven decision making,” said Ray Harrison, Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer, Yesway.
He continued, “Yesway has a strong culture of service and execution, and we will build on that by curating the right products at the right price, in the right moments of our customers’ day.
I am eager to support our store teams, strengthen our supplier partnerships and deliver growth through a sharper, guest-first merchandising strategy. Together, we will make every visit faster, friendlier and more rewarding.”
Harrison is a Certified Professional Strategic Advisor with the Category Management Association and served on several industry advisory councils, including as a member of the Food Marketing Institute and the Topco Private Brands Council. He is also an advisory board member of the POI (Promotions Optimization Institute). He holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree from Letourneau University in Longview, Texas.