As chief operating officer, a role he has held since November 2014, Ken Parent oversees store and restaurant operations, including retail pricing, marketing and technology. He leads the direct sales team, supply and distribution, and the branding and customer experience team. In addition, he collaborates with human resources to advance the company’s culture, values and communication to more than 23,000 team members.
Ken joined Pilot Corporation in 1996 as a region manager and was promoted to West Division director in 1998. In 2001, he was promoted to senior vice president of operations, marketing and human resources, and, in 2013, was named executive vice president. Prior to joining Pilot Flying J, Ken worked for 11 years in field and staff management at Mobil Oil Corporation and worked for several years with PepsiCo.
Ken serves on the board of BJ's Wholesale Club. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from San Diego State University in 1979 and also earned an MBA in marketing from San Diego State in 1981.