7-Eleven International CEO Ken Wakabayashi to retire
Seven & i is selecting a successor for the executive, who led the group’s business outside Japan and North America and oversaw deals in Vietnam and Australia.
Seven & i Holdings has announced that Ken Wakabayashi will retire as President & CEO of 7-Eleven International LLC (7IN), effective December 31, 2026. 7IN is the subsidiary responsible for the group’s international business, and Wakabayashi also serves as Seven & i’s Executive Officer in charge of International Business.
7IN covers convenience store operations outside the regions managed by Seven-Eleven Japan and 7-Eleven, Inc. According to Seven & i, the strategic direction and priorities for the international business and 7IN remain unchanged and the company is in the process of selecting his successor.
“Since 7IN was established in 2021, he has helped drive the growth of our international business, first as Co-CEO and later as President & CEO. During this time, we have achieved important milestones, including the investment in 7-Eleven Vietnam and the acquisition of 7-Eleven Australia,” said Steve Dacus, President & CEO of Seven & i Holdings, who thanked Wakabayashi for more than 30 years of service to the group.
“Our international business is one of the Group’s core growth pillars, alongside the domestic operations of Seven-Eleven Japan and the North American operations of 7-Eleven, Inc. Our commitment to our master franchisees in each market also remains unchanged,” Dacus added.
The leadership change comes as Seven & i aims to make Europe 7-Eleven’s fourth core market, alongside Japan, North America and Asia, as Dacus confirmed in October. The brand currently has around 360 stores in Europe, all in the Nordic countries. Under its medium-term plan, the group aims to grow its global network by 14% to about 100,000 stores by fiscal 2030.
