Frank Gleeson named NACS European Industry Leader of the Year

Aramark’s President for Northern Europe has been named industry leader of the year in London by the NACS Insight jury for his leadership in the convenience store industry.

fFrank Gleeson, president of Aramark Northern Europe, has been named the 2018 NACS European Industry Leader of the Year. The award, sponsored by Mondelēz International, was presented last week during the NACS Convenience Summit Europe in London.

Gleeson is highly respected in the convenience retail industry as an executive who thinks globally but acts locally. He was responsible for the development of Topaz’s successful retail concept in Ireland.

“It’s a huge honour to be recognized by your peers. I started on the frontline and I will never forget that. I’ve been lucky to be mentored through my carrier, and I’ve learned a lot from NACS – they have really helped me in my career. This is probably the highlight of my career so far,” said Gleeson to PetrolPlaza.

Gleeson grew up in the foodservice and retail industries, working his first job in his brother’s coffee shop and restaurant business; his parents owned a clothing store. Currently the president of Aramark Northern Europe, Gleeson joined the company in 2014 as managing director of food services Ireland and more recently as COO of its Northern Europe group.

Prior to Aramark, he served as vice president of retail for Statoil Ireland, and in 2005 became the retail director for Topaz Energy Group, the largest importer and distributor of transport fuel in Ireland, which was purchased by Circle K parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2016. There, Gleeson led a team responsible for the successful development and rollout of the Topaz brand in 2008, an integration of Shell and Statoil service stations, and was responsible for the retail business of more than 340 sites.

At the event, Gleeson also spoke of the growing reputation of the Irish convenience store market for its excellent food services. Seven of the 14 finalists for the International Convenience Retailer of the Year award came from Ireland, with Dublin’s The Fresh Good Market finally taking the prize.

“We have a highly advanced, dynamic market place. We are a very progressive country and that means you want to be at the leading edge. As retailers, we’ve competed between each other so much that we have driven the market to new heights every single year,” he explained.

Gleeson is the former chairman of Retail Ireland, a board member of Irish employers group IBEC and is the current chairman of IBEC’s energy policy committee. He is also a board member of Ireland’s National Transport Authority and a committee member of the Irish Government’s Labour Market advisory council. Gleeson also serves on the NACS Executive Committee as vice chairman, international.