Heading up innovation and product development for QuikTrip is Stephanie Hurt, a restaurant veteran whose experience includes seven years at Yum! Brands as senior product development manager and six years at Sonic as head of innovation and brand marketing. She came to the convenience industry in 2008 with a valuable vantage point: how c-stores can differentiate themselves from quick-service restaurants (QSRs).
Stephanie’s tenure in the restaurant industry also armed her with a core of powerful influencers. “I was fortunate enough to have been surrounded by some really great women leaders,” she says, citing Pattye Moore, chairman of the board of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, who also sits on the QuikTrip board; and Ann Dalier, vice president of marketing for Mimi’s Cafe. “They helped me grow and succeed because they could see my potential. Not just what I had accomplished.”
