ALEXANDRIA, VA , 2016-Dec-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — NACS has expanded its leadership role in the international convenience and fuel retailing space with the addition of two hires focused on the European market and the launch of a new conference, the NACS Convenience Summit – Asia.
In early December, Mark Wohltmann joined NACS as director, NACS Europe, and Magnar Møkkelgård joined the NACS Europe team as a special advisor.
Wohltmann will lead efforts to grow the NACS brand by driving European membership and event recruitment as well as growing the engagement activities of European retailers and suppliers with NACS.
In collaboration with NACS’s European partner Insight Research and its Managing Director Dan Munford, Wohltmann will work to raise awareness about NACS global events: the NACS Insight Convenience Summit – Europe, the NACS Show, and the new NACS Convenience Summit – Asia. In addition, he will expand European recruitment for the association’s executive leadership education programs at Cornell University, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Wohltmann brings 16 years of experience within the consulting and market research sector, with a strong focus on FMCG/CPG and retail. He comes to NACS from the Nielsen Company, where he held the position of Director Product Management Europe. Prior to this Wohltmann worked with USP Market Intelligence, setting up Germany’s largest convenience retail panel as well as with Combera, developing Marketing- and sales strategies for FMCG companies entering the convenience sector.
Møkkelgård has also joined the NACS Europe team as a special advisor. Møkkelgård brings nearly 30 years of European convenience and fuel retailing industry experience, having retired from his position as vice president of Reitan Convenience AS in June 2016. Mokkelgard held various positions during his 28 years with Reitan Convenience AS based in Norway. Over the last 18 years, he had led the company’s numerous strategic projects and M&A activities, including all major acquisitions. Along with his new role as special advisor to NACS, Magnar will also serve as a member of the NACS International Committee.
As part of its refined international event strategy, NACS has introduced a new global event to the Asian market: Convenience Summit – Asia. Taking place in Sapporo and Tokyo, Japan, from March 20-24, the event features thought leadership, store tours and opportunities to build strategic relationships in the Asian market. (www.nacsonline.com/asia)
“New concepts and innovations emerge anywhere in the world, at any time, and the additions to the NACS team and the expanded event portfolio allow the association to share best practices, thought leadership, advocacy and technology with a global convenience marketplace,” said NACS CEO and President Henry Armour.
“These announcements allow NACS to more effectively help convenience retailers scan the globe to learn how retailers in more mature life cycle phase markets have effectively—and ineffectively—dealt with an issue,” said Armour.
Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 154,000 stores across the country, conducts 160 million transactions a day, sells 80% of the fuel purchased in the country and had total sales of $575 billion in 2015. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,700 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.
Source: NACS