2026 Speakers

Damon Bail is the Vice President of Operations & Marketing at Valor Oil (September 2019–present), leading retail strategy and performance across the company and overseeing the Hop Shops convenience store division based in Owensboro, Ky. He formerly served as COO at […]

David Barkett is the Director of Retail Operations for Triumph Energy. He oversees the marketing, operations, and administration teams of Triumph Energy C-Stores.  This group is responsible for daily store operations, store personnel, promotions, category management, foodservice offerings, and execution, […]

Glennie Cox Bench serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Georgia Oil Company. She oversees the company’s leadership teams and works closely with Operations, Marketing, Accounting, and Human Resources in developing and implementing the company’s strategic vision. Southwest […]

David leads all store operations for Hop Shops across Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, while supporting enterprise-wide strategies that advance Valor Oil’s long-term retail vision. His focus is simple but powerful, supporting the people who serve Hop Shop guests and delivering […]

Ryan Blevins is a nationally recognized Executive Culinary Strategist with over two decades of experience leading end-to-end culinary innovation across the Food & Beverage industry. As the Food and Beverage Director of Innovation at Weigel’s, he is driving bold, results-oriented […]

Emily Boes is the senior editor of CStore Decisions. She has been with the brand for nearly four years, serving the convenience store industry by creating relevant content on a variety of topics through print and online articles, webinars, and […]

Sean Carroll brings over 20 years of experience blending marketing, operations, and merchandising strategy. As Director of Category Management at Good 2 Go Stores, he’s passionate about creating in-store experiences that not only look great but perform—using data, creativity, and […]

Sam Dearden is a Senior Category Manager at Good2Go Stores, where he leads beverage categories across Good2Go stores. Before that, he guided marketing efforts, creating impactful campaigns that boosted sales and elevated customer experience. In 2024, Sam was recognized by […]

Erin Del Conte serves as editor-in-chief of CStore Decisions. In this leadership role, she oversees content strategy across print, digital, podcasts and events, and leads the CStore Decisions’ editorial team. Erin brings nearly 20 years of experience in B2B magazine […]