Gordon Lawlor appointed new Managing Director of Circle K Ireland
28/06/2019
Niall Anderton promoted to Senior Vice President for Circle K Central & Eastern Europe and Ireland
Circle K Ireland has today announced the appointment of Gordon Lawlor as its new Managing Director. He will take over from existing Managing Director Niall Anderton who has been promoted to Senior Vice President for Circle K Central & Eastern Europe and Ireland.
Mr. Lawlor will assume his new position on August 1st and will be responsible for leading the business in Ireland with the Circle K rebrand process close to completion and several exciting opportunities on the near horizon for the fuel and convenience retail space. He currently serves as Fuels Director in the company.
Mr. Lawlor has significant industry expertise having held several management and leadership roles in the fuel and convenience retail sector over the last 21 years. Mr. Lawlor worked for ExxonMobil for 17 years – in Ireland with Esso Ireland, and internationally with ExxonMobil in both Brussels and London. He also led the Esso business in Ireland as its Chairman and Director from 2012 until its acquisition by Topaz Energy in 2015.
Following the acquisition of Topaz Energy in 2016 by Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT), Mr. Lawlor was promoted to Fuels Director of Circle K, the global fuel and convenience brand of ACT. In his role as Fuels Director, Mr. Lawlor played a key role in the integration of the Circle K brand in Ireland, leading the introduction of Ireland’s first premium additised fuels, miles and milesPLUS to the Irish market across the full network of Circle K service stations.
Commenting on his appointment, Gordon Lawlor said, “I am honoured to be appointed as the new Managing Director of Circle K which is an outstanding company with an excellent team and unrivalled service offering. I am really looking forward to building on the legacy of my predecessor Niall Anderton, and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his support over the past few years.”
“I am excited about the new role and about the future direction for Circle K. In recent years, we have cemented our position as market leader in the forecourt and convenience space by delivering the very best customer service and experience, and the best and most innovative product range.”
“We now have the opportunity to elevate our position further and ensure Circle K is a consistent destination of preference for consumers. The forecourt of today is not the forecourt of tomorrow and Circle K is already leading the evolution in this regard. Significant opportunities for growth and diversification lie outside the forecourt space and Circle K is primed to capitalise on this in the years ahead.”
Current Circle K Ireland Managing Director Niall Anderton will commence his new position as Senior Vice President for Circle K Central & Eastern Europe and Ireland on August 1st. In his new role, Mr. Anderton will oversee Circle K operations across Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia.
Mr. Anderton has led the Circle K business in Ireland since February 2016 having previously held the role of Chief Financial Officer playing a pivotal role in the acquisition of Topaz Energy by ACT in December 2015. During his tenure as managing director, Mr. Anderton led the integration of the Irish business into the wider Circle K group and the official rebrand of Topaz Energy to Circle K in 2017.