Frank Gleeson is Focused on the Future

Frank Gleeson has spent his first year as NACS president and CEO listening, learning and building a roadmap for the industry’s future. Gleeson has made it a priority to get out into the field and better understand the opportunities and challenges shaping convenience retail.

You’ve been president and CEO of NACS for almost one year. What have you been up to so far in 2026?

My first year has really been about understanding where we are today and where we want to go as both an association and as an industry in the future. We’re looking at how we can be more effective in how we represent and support our members. A big part of that process has been getting out and talking with retailers, suppliers and industry leaders to get a pulse on where things stand. Our job at NACS is to think ahead and consider how we can improve our industry.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the road this year—I’ve pretty much been traveling every single week to a different state or a different event. A big part of my role is about being where our members are, understanding their challenges and identifying opportunities where NACS can make an impact.

What are your current top priorities?

Advocacy is top of mind for me. We have a highly effective and talented government relations team, and they’re working on big-ticket items for the industry. The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) is our primary focus. There is a lot of momentum and we’re doing everything we can to get that across the finish line. We are also focused on changes to the nicotine category and the illicit products in the market. We’re fighting to make sure that we have a level playing field and that our retail members can capture the sales they should legitimately be getting from other tobacco products.

Another big issue is the discontinuation of the penny, and our team has worked to get legislation for rounding cash transactions. That has been a cost to our members, who are seeing that impact in their P&Ls. NACS has been at the forefront of that from day one, and we see the finish line in sight. Of course, there are plenty of other issues we are advocating for our members on, such as SNAP legislation or hemp product sales.

I really do need to call out the NACS government relations team. They have been unbelievable. They are considered a significant and strong lobbying force in Washington D.C., so much so that they’ve been called out by certain opponents for how effective they are. I was thrilled to hear that! Of course, they are also supported by our members, and we have seen how impactful events like Day on the Hill or grassroots mobilizations have been in making a difference in Congress.

What strategic initiatives is NACS working on for the industry?

I’m quite excited about some of the initiatives we’re working on. They’re ones that will have impact for many years to come and will put our industry in a very strong spot. TruAge is one of those initiatives. It’s a very important technology in our fight against illicit products and in continuing to cement our position as the best place in the market to sell age-restricted products. TruAge is fit for purpose now and for the future, for whatever new age-restricted products come to market. It’s a product developed by NACS, one that NACS is scaling and is built as a global standard for all retail.

There are a couple of others I’m excited about too:

New events: We really considered what the unmet needs of our members were to develop new events and education for the industry. We’re hosting a new Future of Mobility event in December, which was developed from member feedback. They told us that topic was a gap in terms of available industry events, so we stepped right up to the plate. We also plan to grow and expand our current Food Safety Forum, which is already a fantastic event, into a broader foodservice event in 2027. Foodservice is a really critical, growing category and we want to provide more thought leadership around it and strengthen education for the industry.

NACS Foundation: Seeing some of the activations organized by the NACS Foundation, like 24/7 Day to recognize first responders, and the wide adoption of so much of our industry giving back has been extraordinary. To me, that is really at the heart of what we do and what our consumers care about. It’s what this industry is all about.

NACS International: I’m really excited about our global reach. We’re based in Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States, but we are a global organization with member companies from more than 50 countries, and our international team is highly effective in what they do. People in our industry have a lot of choice in where they spend their time and their money, and some of the biggest retailers in the world are members of NACS and benefit from the value we bring. To me, that shows how effective we’ve been at capturing the global industry value proposition.

What notable developments are you seeing from retailers and in the industry?

We’re seeing a lot of investment from retailers in their companies and the industry. A lot of our member companies are building, renovating or investing in their stores and the customer experience. There’s also a lot of investment going into loyalty and digital capabilities, which creates a lot of stickiness. It’s quite a dynamic industry, and there’s a lot of change. I see all of that as positive change for the convenience channel.

The elephant in the room is that fuel volumes have been down this year due to the cost of gas. The only industry that wins when gas prices are high is the credit card industry, which is one of many reasons we need to get CCCA passed.

The lower fuel volumes have hurt trips inside the store a bit, and the reality is that consumers have to make tradeoffs right now in the current economy. With transactions down, every extra item in the basket counts. It’s a game of pennies. I’m impressed by how retailers’ stores are becoming destinations for products and services other than fuel—foodservice being a great example of that. We are an utterly different industry than we were 20 or even 10 years ago, and consumers now know they can get great food at c-stores for a great price. We are already positioned to meet that moment.

As you think about the rest of the year, what are you excited about?

I couldn’t be more excited to be in Las Vegas this month for my first NACS Show as president and CEO. It’s going to be a fantastic Show—there’s nothing better than seeing 25,000-plus of our supplier and retail members in one spot. I’m looking forward to walking the halls, strengthening my relationships with existing friends and meeting new people, and attending the meetings and amazing Education Sessions that are planned.

And on a personal level, as I reflect on the past year, I have really enjoyed the move to Washington, D.C. from Ireland. Living in America has far exceeded my expectations. The entrepreneurial spirit and the way people approach things has been a truly refreshing thing for me. I couldn’t be more motivated or excited about having come to the United States.

Frank Gleeson will be speaking at the 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas—hear him during the “What’s Convenient Now? Gen Z & Gen Alpha Weigh In” Education Session on Wednesday, October 7, at 8:00 a.m. and on the main stage at the Thursday, October 8, General Session at 10:15 a.m., where he’ll look at the opportunities and threats facing the industry, as well as key industry victories.