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Stephen Hayes Dacus becomes first foreign
CEO of 7-Eleven in Japan
[May 27, 2025]
By YURI KAGEYAMA
TOKYO (AP)
— Stephen Hayes Dacus was approved Tuesday to be the new chief executive
of the operator of 7-Eleven, the first foreigner to lead the Japanese
convenience store chain.
The American with a Japanese mother was appointed earlier this year to
be chief executive of Seven & i Holdings Co., which operates the stores,
known as “konbini” in Japan.
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Stephen Hayes Dacus, who was tapped to be the next chief executive of
Seven & i Holdings, which operates the 7-Eleven convenience store chain,
poses for a photo at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, April 25,
2025. (AP Photo/Yuri Kageyama, File) |
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An
acquisition proposal by Alimentation Couche-Tard of Canada,
which the company has so far rejected, was not up for vote at
the shareholders’ meeting. The companies are discussing the
proposal and Seven & i is conducting an internal study.
Dacus has promised further growth for the business, which has
been widening its overseas appeal. The 7-Eleven chain is the
biggest convenience store chain in the U.S. But some analysts
say there are challenges in the Japanese market, where the
population is rapidly aging and competition is fierce among
konbini brands.
Fluent in Japanese and English, Dacus previously worked at
Walmart, Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo and other retailers.
Shareholders appeared to have high hopes for his leadership and
the rest of the new team that also won their approval. It
remains unclear whether the company is going to go it alone or
decide to collaborate with Couche-Tard.
The 7-Eleven stores in Japan sell everything from ice cream to
batteries to health needs and hot meals. Some stores allow
customers to pay utility bills or use the copier machine. They
also work with local governments to help out during disasters,
providing water, relief supplies, toilet facilities and
emergency information.
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