Veteran retail executive Ray Harrison has been appointed chief marketing and merchandising officer at Yesway, the rapidly growing Fort Worth-based convenience store chain.

Harrison, who brings more than 30 years of experience in marketing, merchandising, category management, and retail operations, will join Yesway’s senior leadership team immediately.

Tom Trkla, chairman, president, and CEO of Yesway, called Harrison “an exceptional leader with a proven ability to translate strategic vision into measurable results.”

“His deep industry expertise, innovative mindset, and commitment to excellence make him the ideal choice to lead our marketing and merchandising efforts as we continue to grow and evolve,” Trkla added in a statement. “I look forward to the many innovations and accomplishments that will come under his leadership.”

Most recently, Harrison was the CMO at Frisco-based Cal’s Convenience, where he led marketing, merchandising, category management, loyalty programs, and communications for more than 500 retail locations. He led the design and launch of a highly successful digital loyalty program, drove private brand share penetration, and implemented innovative omnichannel marketing initiatives across loyalty, social media, delivery, and in-store media networks.

Harrison’s background also includes nearly two decades with Brookshire Grocery Co., where he rose from store leadership into executive roles, including vice president of category management. His contributions to category management, private label development, and promotional strategy earned him numerous industry honors, including being named Category Manager of the Year by PepsiCo.

“Joining Yesway is an honor and an exciting opportunity,” Harrison said. “I’m so pleased to partner with the team to deepen our connection with guests at our Yesway and Allsup’s stores, elevate our foodservice and private-brand offerings, and accelerate data-driven decision making. Yesway has a strong culture of service and execution, and we will build on that by curating the right products at the right price, in the right moments of our customers’ day.”

“I’m eager to support our store teams, strengthen our supplier partnerships, and deliver growth through a sharper, guest-first merchandising strategy. Together, we will make every visit faster, friendlier, and more rewarding,” he added.

Established in 2015, Yesway is an award-winning convenience store operator with 446 stores across nine states in the Midwest and Southwest.

The company is known for its food service offerings, diverse grocery selections, and private-label products, including the famous Allsup’s deep-fried burrito.

Through strategic acquisitions, Yesway has opened 85 new stores it has developed in the past several years.

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