Yesway Appoints Ray Harrison as Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer

Seasoned Retail Leader Brings Proven Track Record of Innovation, Brand Growth, and Strategic Excellence

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesway, one of the nation's fastest-growing convenience store chains, is proud to announce the appointment of Ray Harrison as its new Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer. Harrison, an accomplished retail executive with more than 30 years of experience in marketing, merchandising, category management, and retail operations, will join the company's senior leadership team effective immediately.

Most recently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Cal's Convenience, Harrison led marketing, merchandising, category management, loyalty programs, and communications for more than 500 retail locations. He spearheaded 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 career also includes nearly two decades with Brookshire Grocery Company, 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.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ray to our senior management team," said Tom Trkla, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Yesway. "Ray is 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. I look forward to the many innovations and accomplishments that will come under his leadership."

"Joining Yesway is an honor and an exciting opportunity. I am 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," said Ray Harrison, Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer, Yesway.

He continued, "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 am 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."

Harrison is a Certified Professional Strategic Advisor with the Category Management Association and served on several industry advisory councils, including as a member of the Food Marketing Institute and the Topco Private Brands Council. He is also an advisory board member of the POI (Promotions Optimization Institute). He holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree from Letourneau University in Longview, Texas. 

Editor note: Contact Erin Vadala, Warner Communications; 617-669-1560; [email protected] to arrange interviews. High-resolution images and graphics are available upon request.

About Yesway: Established in 2015 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Yesway is an award-winning convenience store operator with 446 stores across nine states in the Midwest and Southwest. Yesway is renowned for its iconic food service offerings, diverse grocery selections, and private-label products, including the famous Allsup's deep-fried burrito. Through strategic acquisitions, the 85 new stores it has developed and opened in the past several years, and its steadfast commitment to customer satisfaction and community engagement, Yesway continues to cement its position as one of the leading convenience retailers in the United States. For more information, visit yesway.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yesway-appoints-ray-harrison-as-chief-marketing-and-merchandising-officer-302545794.html

SOURCE Yesway