Ken Parent of Pilot Company earns CSP Retail Leader of the Year award
November 4, 2022

KNOXVILLE -- Ken Parent, senior advisor and former president of Pilot Company, has earned Retail Leader of the Year award from CSP, a convenience and petroleum retailing publication.

The CSP Retail Leader of the Year award has been given for 19 years, recognizing convenience retail executives for excellence in leadership, innovation and perseverance within a company to positively transform the organization to new and higher levels.

	Ken Parent; image by Pilot Company

Parent was honored and celebrated for his leadership and achievements at a formal dinner and award presentation attended by family, friends, colleagues and fellow industry leaders on Oct. 2 in Las Vegas.

“Ken has been an integral part of Pilot Company for more than 25 years and played a critical role in changing the trajectory of the company to become the largest operator of travel centers in North America,” said Shameek Konar, CEO of Pilot Company. “We have been very fortunate to have Ken as a leader and mentor and thank him for his years of dedication and strategic guidance. Congratulations, Ken, on this well-deserved recognition of your incredible contributions to Pilot and the industry.”

Pilot Company is one of the leading suppliers of fuel and the largest operator of travel centers in North America. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot Company’s network includes more than 800 retail and fueling locations and, as the third-largest tanker fleet in North America, supplies more than 14 billion gallons of fuel per year to the market.

Parent joined Pilot Company in 1996 as a region manager and took on several leadership roles over the years, eventually becoming president of the company in 2015. He previously worked for Mobil Oil Corporation and PepsiCo. He earned both a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from San Diego State University.

His community service includes support of the American Heart Association and Humane Society Tennessee Valley, and he serves on the board of directors for BJ’s, Hollywood Feed, NACS and Stuzzo. He resides in Knoxville with his wife, Leslie, and they are proud parents of KJ and his wife, Carol, and Natalie.

To learn more about the CSP Retail Leader of the Year award, visit cspdailynews.com/company-news/csps-retail-leader-year-2022-ken-parent. For more information about Pilot Company’s family of brands and career opportunities, visit jobs.pilotflyingj.com.