Post by Erin Del Conte

CStore Decisions caught up with Greg Ehrlich, president of Beck Suppliers LLC, which operates Friendship Kitchen in Ohio, and board chairman of the National Advisory Group/CStore Connections board, to discuss the role of CStore Momentum in helping to grow young retail leaders in the c-store industry. 💠 CStore Decisions (CSD): Why is it so important for convenience retailers to invest in leadership development for their emerging leaders and young executives? 🔷 Greg Ehrlich (GE): Investing in emerging leaders has always been critical to prepare convenience retailers for the future. That need is greater now as changes in the competitive landscape, retailing in general and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) are occurring more rapidly than ever before. The strongest teams and companies are the ones where intentional development plans are in place for their next generation. Companies that fail to invest in their emerging leaders face the risk of losing talent to other organizations that value the development of their teams and their engagement over short term results. At Beck Suppliers and FriendShip Kitchen, Julie Claypool, VP of HR, is revamping the way our company recruits, onboards, trains and develops all team members to ensure we are not simply providing jobs, but building rewarding careers. 💠 CSD: What opportunities does CStore Momentum provide that young professionals may not get through their day-to-day responsibilities at work? 🔷 GE: CStore Momentum accelerates team member development by providing access to industry leaders, peer networking and expert insights beyond participants’ day-to-day roles. The program fosters leadership growth, strategic thinking and a broader industry perspective while helping participants build valuable professional relationships. Each year when our team members return from CStore Momentum, they do so with renewed energy and enthusiasm along with fresh, actionable and meaningful ideas that lead to impactful change. 🥁 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gRvxEwcf