TORONTO, May 6, 2026 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) proudly announces Alex Miller as the recipient of the Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year Award, as part of the Excellence in Retailing Awards program. This esteemed accolade recognizes Mr. Miller's exceptional leadership as President & CEO of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., the Laval, Quebec-based global convenience and mobility leader, behind the Circle K and Couche-Tard banners.

Named President and CEO in September 2024, Alex Miller is only the third CEO in Couche-Tard's 45-year history, reflecting both the strength of its leadership pipeline and the enduring culture he has helped shape. With more than 25 years of experience in the retail fuel and convenience sector, Mr. Miller brings deep operational expertise and a global perspective to the role. He joined Couche-Tard in 2012 as Director of Fuels, Real Estate and Facilities, and has held progressively senior roles across fuels, operations, and commercial optimization ever since. Before Couche-Tard, Mr. Miller spent 16 years with BP Plc in operational, supply chain, strategy, and business development roles across the United States and Europe, including eight years in retail across six U.S. markets and four years in strategy and planning at BP's London headquarters.

Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and mobility, operating in 27 countries and territories, with close to 17,300 stores, including more than 2,100 in Canada. Steering an enterprise of that scale demands more than operational command; it demands a clear vision for where retail is going. Under Alex Miller, that vision is Core + More, a focused strategy that doubles down on the company's strength in core categories while investing in the areas that will define the next generation of convenience retail.

But what truly sets Mr. Miller apart is not the scale of the business he leads, it's how he leads it. He has made investing in frontline employees a defining priority, significantly cutting the administrative burden on store teams so they can focus on what matters most: the customer. It is a philosophy rooted in empowerment, pushing decisions closer to the customer, actively seeking out diverse perspectives, and building a culture of ownership at every level of the organization. The results are measurable: better retention, stronger engagement, and an operation that gets sharper the closer it gets to the customer.

"Alex Miller is a transformational retail leader," said Kim Furlong, President & CEO of Retail Council of Canada. "From the frontline up, he has built a culture of accountability and entrepreneurship, invested meaningfully in the people who serve Canadian customers every day, and brought a clear strategic vision to one of Canada's most iconic retail brands. We are proud to recognize his achievements with this award."

The Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year award will be presented to Alex Miller at Retail Council of Canada's Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala on June 2, at the Toronto Congress. Media are invited to attend this prestigious event celebrating Alex Miller and other esteemed award recipients.

The Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala will cap off the first day of RCCSTORE26, Canada's premier retail conference. Taking place June 2-3, 2026, RCCSTORE26 will feature 75+ expert speakers and draw retail leaders from across North America and beyond.

About the Excellence in Retailing Awards
The Excellence in Retailing Awards are presented annually by Retail Council of Canada to honour outstanding performance and innovation across the Canadian retail industry. The Distinguished Canadian Retail of the Year Award recognizes a retail leader that has led their company to outstanding business success and innovation and that has consistently demonstrated community commitment and support. Past recipients include Dr. George Soleas of LCBO, Greg Hicks of Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd., Paul Wood of Giant Tiger and many more. For more information, visit retailawards.ca.

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. This sector is a major economic contributor, generating more than $101 billion annually in wages and employee benefits. In 2025, core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) exceeded $532 billion. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members account for more than two thirds of these core retail sales and 95 per cent of the grocery market. Our membership extends across the country, embracing over 65,000 storefronts in diverse formats such as department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants, and quick service restaurants. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, RCC, a not-for-profit, industry-funded association, proudly represents retail businesses of all sizes, from small independents to large national chains, in communities nationwide. retailcouncil.org.

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada