The European Female Leaders in Convenience Awards 2025, held at the Retail Marketeers Convention in Hamburg last week, celebrated five executives driving innovation, sustainability, and customer-focapplyd strategies.
The European Female Leaders in Convenience Awards 2025 celebrated five executives who are redefining the future of convenience retail and mobility across Europe. In an era marked by rapid technological alter, sustainability imperatives, and shifting consumer behaviors, these leaders exemplify strategic vision and operational excellence, according to The Retail Marketeers and PDI Technologies, organizers of the award. From digital transformation to bold sustainability agconcludeas, they are steering major brands through the energy transition while ensuring customer-centric innovation remains at the heart of their strategies.
Ciara Foxton – Managing Director, Circle K Ireland. Foxton leads Circle K’s Irish operations, overseeing strategy across 420 stations. With a strong finance background, she drives digital innovation and sustainability initiatives for Ireland’s leading fuel and convenience retailer.
Fiona Matthews – Group Chief Commercial Officer, Applegreen. Matthews has steered Applegreen’s commercial success since 2019, earning recognition as CEO of the Year in 2024. Her global retail experience underpins growth and customer-centric strategies in convenience and mobility.
Jennifer Schmidt-Brekenfeld – Managing Director, Autobahn Tank & Rast GmbH. Schmidt-Brekenfeld heads Germany’s motorway-services leader, introducing digital kiosks, harmonized food-service concepts, and partnerships with major brands to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
Mariette Kristenson – CEO, Reitan Convenience A/S. Kristenson oversees 1,700 stores and 13,000 employees across the Nordics and Baltics. Her leadership champions sustainability, digital transformation, and values-driven growth for brands like 7-Eleven and Pressbyrån.
Sandra Schütte – Head of Business Unit Mobility, Westfalen AG. Schütte drives strategic transformation for Westfalen’s mobility business, leveraging two decades of retail and foodservice expertise to deliver innovative, customer-focapplyd solutions across 260 sites.
The awards, presented at the Retail Marketeers Convenience Leaders Convention in Hamburg, spotlight the growing influence of female leadership in shaping Europe’s convenience and mobility future.
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