Henry Armour

Chairman Emeritus & CEO, NACS Global NACS

Last Reviewed: September 26, 2026

Executive Summary

Henry Armour is Chairman Emeritus and CEO, NACS Global, at NACS, the trade association for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. He was its president and chief executive for twenty years, from July 2005 until 31 December 2025, and handed over to Frank Gleeson on 1 January 2026. Under the transition plan NACS announced in 2024, he stayed on to support his successor and to lead the association’s international work. He came to the job from the industry itself: he grew up in his family’s oil and retail business, built and sold a chain of convenience stores in the Pacific Northwest, and chaired NACS in 2002 and 2003 before he ran it.

Career Highlights

• President and CEO of NACS from July 2005 to 31 December 2025.
• Now Chairman Emeritus & CEO, NACS Global, leading the association’s international activities.
• Chaired NACS in 2002 and 2003.
• Founded West Star Corporation, which grew to 59 NOW! convenience stores, truck stops and quick-service restaurants in the Pacific Northwest before he sold it in 2004.
• Founded Epoch Corporation in 1988 to run retail businesses in California.
• Earlier served as manager of development strategies at The Standard Oil Company of Ohio, and as vice president and COO of his family’s Armour Oil Company.

Professional Journey

Armour grew up working in his family’s retail businesses under Armour Oil Company and became its vice president and chief operating officer in 1977. In 1980 he joined The Standard Oil Company of Ohio as manager of development strategies. He then went back to running his own businesses. He founded West Star Corporation, which grew to 59 NOW! convenience stores, truck stops and quick-service restaurants across the Pacific Northwest, and in 1988 he founded Epoch Corporation, which ran retail businesses in California. He sold West Star in 2004.

As a retailer he was active in NACS and chaired the association in 2002 and 2003. In July 2005 he became its president and CEO. When NACS announced his planned departure in October 2024, its chairman, Victor Paterno, said Armour had fundamentally changed the organisation. Paterno pointed to NACS becoming a global organisation, a stronger financial position, more education offerings and better federal policy advocacy. NACS’s own tribute at the end of his tenure highlights two things: the push into international engagement, and executive education, which grew from one course at Cornell to five.

NACS named Frank Gleeson, formerly president and CEO of Aramark Northern Europe, as its next president and CEO in July 2025. Armour’s tenure as chief executive ended on 31 December 2025. He now holds the title Chairman Emeritus & CEO, NACS Global, in line with the transition plan’s commitment that he would support Gleeson and continue to lead NACS’s international activities.

Education

Stanford University

BA, Economics

London School of Economics

MSc, Economics

Stanford University

MBA

Stanford University

PhD, Economics