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Our industry is a very friendly place. As international business people in the convenience and energy industry I’ve always found that more unites us than divides us. We are one of the most networked communities in global commerce. It’s a huge advantage. Why is this? Well part of the reason is historical, the global energy companies who have always recruited from every nation and span the world, keeping the lights on, the engines running. But the other and critical difference between us and other sectors is our trade organisation, NACS. For decades this organisation has been forging the global glue that binds us. That work continues with NACS President & CEO Frank Gleeson. And the work is in safe hands with Frank, a highly respected and experienced global leader in our industry who has a very clear vision for this most important of industry institutions. And at the heart of these activities is the annual industry gathering which I first attended as a young entrepreneur in 1999, the NACS Show. Attending the NACS Show (and going back almost every year since) was the best business decision I have ever made. I’m honoured to serve as a NACS International Board Advisor. As the convenience industry’s largest and most influential event of the year, the NACS Show attracts 24,000 industry stakeholders from more than 60 countries. Attendees come together to grow their business and learn from one another in an environment rich with new ideas and partnerships. The NACS Show is THE place to network and connect with industry peers and experts and I highly recommend it.

From NACS Summit Europe to NACS Las Vegas 🇵🇱🇺🇸 Looking back at NACS Convenience Summit Europe, held in Warsaw on June 16–18, 2026, I realise how much these encounters contribute to the way we think about our business. What I enjoyed most was seeing how leading companies in our sector are turning today’s challenges into opportunities. Their stores, their ideas and the conversations with other professionals made me reflect on what we can do differently and how we want to shape our future. I come back with three clear takeaways: customer experience must remain at the heart of our strategy, profitability and operational efficiency require us to keep evolving, and technology and AI should help us build a better business—not just a more digital one. But, above all, I come back with more questions, more ideas and even more excitement about what we can achieve together. And now, with so much excitement, on to NACS Las Vegas! 🎰✈️ #NACS #NACSSummitEurope #Convenience #Retail #Innovation #Digitalization #CustomerExperience #AI

Planning another trip to the NACS Show in Las Vegas from 6th to 10th October. A fabulous event for catching up with old and making new friends from our sector from all over the world. The learnings from the educational and general sessions are inspiring & full of the latest innovations on roadside and convenience retailing from the best in their field. See you all soon. 👏👏⛽️

You arrive at the NACS Show to see what’s new. You leave with new people in your life. This photo was taken at the NACS Show Kick-Off Party in 2023. Looking at it today, I realize that it captures one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back. Of course, the NACS Show is an extraordinary place to discover new products, technologies and ideas. You can spend days walking the show floor and still feel that you haven't seen everything. But for me, the real magic happens between the booths, over coffee, at a reception, during dinner — or sometimes in a completely unexpected conversation with someone you have never met before. That’s networking at the NACS Show. You meet a retailer from the US, a technology company from Europe, an entrepreneur from Asia or a supplier from another corner of the world. You start talking for five minutes. Sometimes those five minutes turn into another meeting. Sometimes into a business opportunity. And sometimes into a friendship that lasts for years. I have experienced all three. Over the years, many people I first met through NACS have become business partners, trusted industry contacts and, most importantly, Industry Friends. And that network doesn't end when the lights go out in the exhibition hall. Those relationships travel with you — to Warsaw, London, Copenhagen, Dublin, Tokyo, Shenzhen and many other places where our industry comes together. That is why the words behind me in this picture — “Winning Together” — mean much more to me today than they did when I took this selfie. The NACS Show is a huge event. But its greatest value can start with just one handshake. I hope you will attend NACS Show 2026. This year in Las Vegas. #NACSShow #NACS #ConvenienceRetail #Networking #Retail #IndustryFriends

1993. Exxon sent me to my first NACS Show in San Francisco. I walked in thinking I ran fuel stations. I walked out understanding I was part of a global industry. That single realization changed everything. I’ve been back for almost every NACS Show since. NACS became my compass. Not because of the badges or the booths, but because it lets you see the future early. Somewhere in the world, someone is already doing what your market will need in five years — and at NACS, you find them. ExxonMobil gave me the platform to put that vision into action. Roles across Argentina, the UK, Colombia, Mexico, and the USA — and later managing the retail business for LATAM — allowed me to take what I absorbed at NACS Show and execute it on the ground, market after market. The Global NACS Convenience Summit in Europe, Asia, and LATAM taught me to walk a market tour with different eyes: observing, asking, comparing, networking and exchanging ideas with colleagues from every corner of the industry. I didn’t just bring that knowledge home to advise major regional players like FEMSA, Terpel, Copec, Ipiranga, and Shell. Eventually, I built it into my own business. That is how Lion Place was born: our answer to "what's next," years before the market even asked the question. Today, it stands as one of the strongest concepts in Latin America — one I would confidently match against any world-class facility anywhere. At FGC, we now operate 20 stations across YPF, Shell, Axion, and Puma — but Lion Place is where everything converges, and where three decades of NACS Show influence actively live. None of this happens without this extraordinary community. See you in NACS Show in Las Vegas from 6th to 10th October — I’ll be looking for the next big idea I haven't thought of yet. #NACSShow #ConvenienceRetail #FuelRetail #LionPlace #NACS

Whether in the U.S., Asia or Europe, Generation Z didn’t grow up during “normal” times. They came of age during global conflict, economic volatility and a once in a lifetime pandemic. That all shapes how they shop—and what they expect from convenience stores. And there are a lot of them. By 2034, Gen Z is expected to drive nearly $9 trillion in global spending—which is more than any other generation. They’re also the first generation to reach 2 billion people, representing more than a quarter of the world’s population. Gen Z has buying power and clear expectations. For convenience retailers, that means rethinking what value really looks like, whether it’s store proximity, longer hours of operation, late-night food, or supporting their health and wellness. With digital, there are real opportunities to create value across the entire customer journey: before the visit, in the store, at checkout and after they leave. And loyalty is no longer a differentiator—it’s table stakes. The conversation for our industry isn’t whether we serve Gen Z, it’s whether we’re delivering an experience that meets their daily lifestyle needs. I look forward to continuing the conversation at the 2026 NACS Convenience Summit Europe, June 16-18 in Warsaw. If you haven't registered yet, I encourage you to do so. https://lnkd.in/eQvy5dD3