Former Dr. Pepper exec named CEO of 7-Eleven
Seven & i Holdings Co. has tapped a former beverage industry executive to lead its North American convenience store business.
The company named Mauricio Leyva as CEO of 7-Eleven Inc., effective Aug. 1, 2026. He succeeds Joe DePinto, who retired at the end of 2025 after serving more than 20 years in the role. 7-Eleven is the country’s largest convenience store retailer.
From 2020 to 2024, Leyva served as group president of Keurig Dr Pepper, where he led the company through a critical post-merger transformation, strengthening its operating foundation while executing a new business strategy, according to Seven & I Holdings. During his tenure, Dr Pepper grew to become the second-largest carbonated soft drink brand in the United States.
Prior to Keurig Dr Pepper, Leyva served as CEO of Grupo LALA. Earlier in his career, he held several senior leadership roles at Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, including CEO of Grupo Modelo. Most recently, Leyva has been a senior advisor at McKinsey & Company, according to LinkedIn.
Leyva joins the convenience store giant, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027, as it is working to transform its business and improve its profitability. The company has embarked on an ambitious store remodel program to update more than 7,000 stores in North America by 2023 with improvements that include upgraded interiors and a focus on fresh food. It also is opening roughly 200 new stores in North America in its current fiscal year even as it is closing 645 locations (with 350 converted to wholesale fuel locations.)
As CEO of 7-Eleven, Leyva will work closely with Seven & i’s leadership team “to elevate the customer experience, strengthen the store network, advance operational excellence and innovation, and drive sustainable, profitable growth,” according to the release.
“Mauricio brings a wealth of executive leadership experience at global consumer goods companies and a proven track record of leading business transformations," said Steve Dacus, president and CEO of Seven & i Holdings. "His appointment represents an important milestone as the company accelerates toward our transformation program 'North Star', and we are delighted to welcome Mauricio to the Seven & i family to lead SEI into this next stage of growth."
