NACS Names Kapitány European Industry Leader of the Year

LONDON–István Kapitány, executive vice president of Shell Retail, has been named the 2019 NACS European Convenience Industry Leader of the Year. The award, sponsored by Mondelēz International, will be presented next week during the NACS Convenience Summit Europe in London.

“Mondelez International is honored to sponsor this prestigious award for our industry and especially excited to present it to István Kapitány,” said Rick Brindle, vice president, industry development at Mondelēz International. “Mr. Kapitány and his team continue to raise the bar for convenience and fuel retailing excellence across the globe.”

Kapitány is a 30-plus year Shell veteran who leads a team that oversees a global network of 44,000 service stations in locations across 80 countries, employs more than 500,000 service champions and serves 30 million-plus customers daily, making the business one of the largest retail brands globally.

Under the leadership of Kapitány, Shell Retail has revolutionized the service station model to become an all-round retail destination for customers on-the-go. 

Kapitány exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of the convenience and fuel retailing industry. He is passionate about putting the customer first and focusing on the entire retail experience—something he experienced firsthand when he began his career with Shell in 1987 as a store manager in Hungary. He quickly moved up the ranks, holding executive positions in Shell’s downstream operations, as well as globally with Shell in Germany, Hungary, South Africa and the United States.

Since 2014, under Kapitány’s leadership, Shell Retail has invested in global brands partnerships with Costa Coffee, and in January this year, Shell launched a program to deliver better food choices to on-the-go customers with globally renowned chef Jamie Oliver. Shell is focusing on bringing better value and better food options to customers and also is investing in a sustainable tomorrow by ensuring product packaging is made from recycled material and with clear labeling to help customers dispose of it responsibly. 

The Shell brand has a dominant presence in markets in the U.S., Brazil, Japan and Germany, but in some of the largest markets in the world the brand is just getting started.

“As global head for Shell’s Retail business, István Kapitány and team are doing the hardest thing there is to do in retail: Reposition the business to capitalize on future growth opportunities while maximizing sales and profit performance in the current landscape,” said NACS President and CEO Henry O. Armour, Ph.D. “We are very proud to name him as this year’s NACS European Industry Leader of the Year.”

Kapitány will accept the award on June 6 at the European Convenience Retail Awards gala.

The NACS Convenience Summit Europe brings together convenience and fuel retailing industry professionals from around the world for new knowledge, new commercial connections and networking, and the opportunity to discover and discuss new ideas from retail store tours. A highlight of the event is the prestigious International Convenience Retail Awards, now in their 11th year, that recognize and promote convenience retailing excellence.

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