7-Eleven names former beverage executive Mauricio Leyva as new CEO

Brett Dworski Thu, July 23, 2026 at 10:19 AM PDT · 3 min read

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Dive Brief

• Seven & i Holdings has hired former beverage industry executive Mauricio Leyva as CEO of 7-Eleven Inc., the convenience retailer's North American business, the company announced on Thursday.
• Leyva will assume leadership of 7-Eleven on Aug. 1, according to the announcement. He joins from global consultancy McKinsey & Company, where he had been a senior advisor since early 2025, per his LinkedIn bio. At Keurig Dr Pepper, he became president of international and business development in 2020 and group president in 2022, according to company announcements. He has also held senior leadership roles with Anheuser-Busch InBev's Grupo Modelo and SABMiller, per the Seven & i announcement.
• Leyva will spearhead the nation's largest convenience retailer as it continues to recover from a difficult past few years marked by economic headwinds.

Dive Insight

Leyva's hiring marks the end of one of the most closely watched storylines in convenience retail since former CEO Joseph DePinto resigned at the end of last year. DePinto's successor is tasked with leading 7-Eleven into its next era as the company continues to face pressure to improve a lack of innovation and profitability in the U.S.

Leyva steps into convenience retailing for the first time after spending more than two decades in the consumer products industry. At Keurig Dr Pepper, he played a key role in the post-merger integration of the two companies. As CEO of Mexican dairy company Grupo Lala, he "led a comprehensive business transformation and significant expansion of the company's strategic positioning," according to the announcement.

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," the announcement stated.

Mauricio Leyva has been named CEO of 7-Eleven's North America business. Retrieved from HiCue Speakers.

"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."

At the center of 7-Eleven's North Star plan is a blueprint to remodel more than 7,000 convenience stores across the U.S. through 2030, as well as convert roughly 2,600 company-owned locations to its franchise model in that same timeframe. In the shorter term, Leyva will guide 7-Eleven toward its goal of opening 205 new stores in fiscal 2026, as outlined in the company's latest earnings statement.

Leyva will also assume leadership as 7-Eleven approaches its 100th birthday in 2027.

"I have long admired the 7-Eleven brand, and I am honored to lead [7-Eleven] at such an important moment in its history," Leyva said in the announcement. "I look forward to working closely with our franchise owners, our associates, and the leadership team across Seven & i to unlock [7-Eleven's] full potential. Together, we will redefine convenience and bring the 7-Eleven experience to more customers across North America."

Clarification: This story was updated to clarify Leyva's leadership roles with Keurig Dr Pepper.

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