Chief Operating Officer Alex Miller will succeed Brian Hannasch, who is retiring, and will officially take up the role on September 6th.
Alimentación Couche-Tard has announced that current Chief Operating Officer Alex Miller will be appointed as the company’s new President and CEO, effective September 6th.
Miller will succeed Brian Hannasch after his retirement and will remain with the company as a special advisor to the company’s new CEO and founder and chairman of the board, Alain Bouchard.
“On behalf of Couche-Tard’s Board of Directors, I congratulate Alex Miller on his appointment as our next leader,” said Bouchard. “Couch-Tard has only had two CEOs in its nearly 45-year history, and I take this appointment very seriously. The Board and I have been planning an orderly and smooth succession search for several years and have carefully evaluated the process and candidates. It is important to us that the next CEO is chosen from within the company and is someone who fully embraces our values, culture and growth-oriented mindset. For these reasons, I am convinced that Alex is the best person to become our next President and CEO.”
Miller has more than 25 years of management experience in the fuel retailing and convenience store industries and has served as Couche-Tard’s chief operating officer for the past year and a half, having been with the company for almost 13 years. Miller has been working closely with Hannasch and the board of directors to ensure a smooth transition in September.
“I am honored by this appointment and would like to thank Alan, Brian and the entire Board of Directors for their confidence,” said Alex Miller. “Working with Couche-Tard’s Board, management team, shareholders, team members and customers has been the highlight of my career. I believe we are only at the beginning of our journey to become the world’s preferred destination for convenience and mobility. I am confident that our passionate people and culture, as well as our long-term strategic plan, will enable us to continue our incredible growth trajectory while gaining market share and creating lasting value.”
In a recent statement, Miller praised Brian Hannasch, the company’s CEO for 10 years, during which he drove a 400% increase in Couche-Tard’s stock price and helped acquire about 7,800 stores.
Additionally, he helped finalize the company’s ambitious “Double Again” strategy, launch a new five-year plan and negotiate numerous transactions.
“Brian always does the right thing for our employees and our customers, and the board and I are incredibly grateful for all he has accomplished,” Miller continued. “We are incredibly pleased that he has agreed to remain as special advisor.”
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as CEO of Couche-Tard for the past 10 years and lead this company for the past 25,” said Hannasch. “I am incredibly proud of the enduring values we have built and the dedication and passion of our team members in serving our customers and communities. Alex has been my closest business partner for more than a decade, and I am confident that Couche-Tard is in his best hands as we work as one team during this transition. I thank Alan and the Board of Directors for their enduring support and for the opportunity to continue serving Couche-Tard as a Special Advisor.”
Alimentation Couche-Tard operates more than 16,700 stores in 31 countries and territories, of which approximately 13,100 stock road fuels. With its well-known brands Couche-Tard and Circle K, the company is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and a leader in the convenience store industry and road fuel retailing in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Belgium and Ireland.
