Thomas N. Trkla is one of the founders of Yesway and has served as Yesway’s Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, and as a member of the Company’s board of directors since its formation. He is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brookwood, which he founded in May 1993, as well as Chairman of Brookwood’s Executive and Investment Committees. Mr. Trkla currently serves as an Advisory Committee member of the Massachusetts Campaign for Children, a non-profit statewide child advocacy organization, a Director of the Princeton Association of New England, a Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, a Director of the Land Conservation Assistance Network (LandCAN), a member of the Advisory Council for the James Madison Program at Princeton University, and a member of the Urban Land Institute. In 2021, Mr. Trkla was named an Entrepreneur of The Year® 2021 Southwest Award winner by Ernst & Young LLP. Mr. Trkla holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In 2004, he completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
Ericka L. Ayles has served as Yesway’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since its formation. She is also a Senior Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer of Brookwood as well as a member of Brookwood’s Executive and Investment Committees. Prior to joining Brookwood and Yesway, Ms. Ayles worked as a client manager for JDJ Family Office Services, a private financial and administrative service company for high-net-worth families and individuals. From 2002 until 2014, Ms. Ayles worked at New Boston Fund, Inc. as Vice President of Portfolio and Financial Reporting. Previously, Ms. Ayles was a Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. In 2019, she was recognized as a Senior Level Leader in the annual CS-News “Top Women in Convenience” awards program. In 2021, she was recognized as a Woman of the Year in the annual CS-News “Top Women in Convenience” awards program. Ms. Ayles is a graduate of Bryant University. In 2017, she completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
Brian Ashburn is a Chief Retail Operations Officer, Western Division, for Yesway. Working closely with Doug Wald, his primary responsibility is to manage the daily operations of Yesway’s growing portfolio of convenience stores; hire, train and mentor newly-hired district and regional managers; and ensure the successful execution of marketing and operational initiatives. Prior to joining the Allsup’s organization, Brian was Vice President of Operations at Douglas Distributing in Sherman, Texas. He has served in a variety of other leadership roles in the convenience store industry, including as the current President of the New Mexico Petroleum Marketers Association. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M-Commerce.
Thomas W. Brown serves as Yesway’s Chief Real Estate Officer and has served as a member of Yesway’s board of directors since the Company’s initial public offering. Mr. Brown is responsible for all real estate activities of Yesway, including the construction of new-to-industry stores and raze and rebuilds, existing store remodels, fuel expansions, and upgrades to store fixtures and equipment, as well as overseeing the Company’s build-to-suit program. Mr. Brown is also a member, President, and Director of Real Estate Acquisitions for Brookwood since 2015, where he is also a member of Brookwood’s Executive and Investment Committees. He was previously a Senior Managing Director at Brookwood from 1994 to 2015. Prior to joining Brookwood in 1994, Mr. Brown was a Vice President of Winthrop Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Winthrop Financial Associates, a Boston-based real estate investment and management firm. Mr. Brown also previously served as President of a publicly-held national real estate firm. Mr. Brown is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute, the National Association of Office and Industrial Parks and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from the University of Texas and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas. In 2018, he completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
Mark J. Daniels is a Managing Director and the Chief Strategy Officer for Yesway and Brookwood. He is also a member of Brookwood’s and Yesway’s Executive and Investment Committees. Mark was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Field Theory, an international software company specializing in the applied numerical simulations of sports. Prior to joining Brookwood, Mark was a senior operations consultant with Stroud Consulting, where his work leading client teams to drive process improvements resulted in millions of dollars in annual savings. Mark serves as Secretary of the Board of The Princeton Tiger, Inc. He is an active member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, and the Canadian and American Mathematical Societies. Mark remains the Chairman of the Board of Digital Field Theory and serves on numerous executive and advisory boards. Mark is a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University, and he received his Master’s degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton, where he graduated with the highest grade point average and academic standing across all programs.
Robert Hampton is the Chief Technology Officer for Yesway. Mr. Hampton leads Yesway's information technology strategy and oversees all aspects of enterprise technology, digital transformation, cybersecurity, and innovation. Mr. Hampton joins Yesway following nearly a decade with Jacksons Companies, a $5+ billion vertically integrated convenience and fuel retailer, where he served as Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Technology Solutions & Innovation. Previously, Mr. Hampton held senior technology leadership roles at AECOM, where he managed a $22.5 million global infrastructure budget and led IT integration for a $1.2 billion acquisition, as well as positions with ValleyCrest Companies, The Warner Group, and Texaco Refining and Marketing. In addition to his corporate leadership experience, Mr. Hampton is a recognized industry thought leader, previous served as Chairman of the Board of Advisors for Conexxus, the convenience retail technology standards organization. He has been a frequent speaker and panelist at major industry events including NACS, NRF, and Conexxus, and serves on two advisory boards for Texas Tech University; Engineering Deans Council and Department of Computer Science and previously served on the Boise State University Department of Computer Science advisory board. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Computer Science from Texas Tech University and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Ray Harrison is the Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer for Yesway. Mr. Harrison directs all merchandising, marketing, and procurement activities for the Company and is responsible for developing and managing relationships with Yesway’s vendor partners. He most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer at Cal's Convenience, where he led marketing, merchandising, category management, loyalty programs, and communications for more than 500 retail locations. Mr. Harrison's career also includes over two decades with Brookshire Grocery Company, where he rose from store leadership into executive roles, including Vice President of Category Management. His contributions to category management, private label development, and promotional strategy earned him numerous industry honors, including being named Category Manager of the Year by PepsiCo. Mr. Harrison is a Certified Professional Strategic Advisor with the Category Management Association and currently serves on the Informa/CSP Operator Advisory Council. He served on several other industry advisory councils, including as a member of the Food Marketing Institute, the Topco’s private brands council, and as an advisory board member of the POI (Promotion Optimization Institute). He holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree from Letourneau University in Longview, Texas.
Jeff Scarbrough is the Chief Fuel Officer for Yesway. Jeff is responsible for procuring and distributing more than 300 million gallons of motor fuels to the Yesway and Allsup’s convenience store network and overseeing all tank closures and installations at each fueling sites. Jeff is responsible for negotiating fuel contracts, optimizing fuel supply and logistics, and directing fuel pricing at all company locations. He also provides ongoing supervision of environmental regulation compliance. Prior to joining the Allsup’s team in 2002, Jeff worked as southwest regional sales manager for PetroFina, which owned and operated a refinery in West Texas, and distributed refined products through 10,000 FINA stores throughout the United States. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas-Dallas. He is a former board member of the New Mexico Petroleum Marketers Association and current board member of the Texas Food & Fuel Association. Jeff also serves on the New Mexico governor’s oversight committee for the underground storage tank bureau.
Douglas Wald is a Senior Vice President of Operations for Yesway. Working closely with Brian Ashburn, his primary responsibility is to manage the daily operations of Yesway’s growing portfolio of convenience stores; hire, train and mentor newly-hired district and regional managers; and ensure the successful execution of marketing and operational initiatives. Prior to joining Yesway, Doug was a Regional Operations Manager for The Pantry, Inc. where he held P&L responsibility for an 85-store chain in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky generating over $280 million per year in sales. Doug was also responsible for daily operations and fuel pricing and implemented marketing plans to enhance product merchandising and facility appearance. Prior to this position, Doug was the Chief Operating Officer for Presto Convenience Stores where he managed 54 stores in two states with combined annual sales in excess of $250 million. Doug was also responsible for all store operations and built long-standing relationships with vendors to enhance product presentation and marketing methods.
Kurt M. Zernich has served as Yesway’s General Counsel and Secretary since its formation. He is also a member and Senior Advisor of Brookwood , as well as a member of Brookwood’s Executive and Investment Committees. Prior to joining Yesway, Mr. Zernich served as the Director of Asset Management and General Counsel for Brookwood. Mr. Zernich was previously a Private Equity and Mergers and Acquisitions Associate at the Chicago law firm of Ungaretti & Harris. Prior to entering into the practice of law, Mr. Zernich worked at the cash management division of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. Mr. Zernich serves as a Director of TruAge, a not-for-profit company providing a solution for age verification in connection with the sale of age-restricted products. Mr. Zernich holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Virginia, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern University School of Law. In 2018, he completed the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
