Ph.D. · Org. Development & Leadership

About the Author

Dr. Larry W. Boustead

Business Executive · Doctoral Researcher · C-Store Industry Author

For more than 25 years, Larry Boustead has worked in the convenience store industry — not as an outside consultant, but as a hands-on operator managing multi-unit retail operations, developing training programs, and building teams in one of the most demanding, high-turnover environments in American retail.

When industry-wide turnover rates hovered as high as 65%, Larry reduced his own stores to 15–20% — and he wanted to know exactly why it worked. That question drove him back to school, earning a Ph.D. in Organizational Development & Leadership with a dissertation focused entirely on C-store employee job satisfaction and retention.

The answer became five books — a complete, evidence-based management series written for the people actually running the stores.

Ph.D. – UAGC, 2023 M.A. – Human Services B.S. – Business Administration GPA 3.98 · Graduated with Honors 25+ Years Industry Experience

Career History

25+ Years of Operational Leadership

May 2018 – Present

FastStop Convenience Stores (Division of Bolea Oil) — Coraopolis, PA

General Manager of Operations / Lead Training Executive

Designed, developed, and delivered multi-level training programs for managers and front-line staff across four retail locations generating $16 million in annual sales. Functioned as the organization's de facto Learning & Development Director, overseeing instructional design, curriculum development, and employee engagement initiatives.

Slashed employee turnover from an industry average of 65% to a sustained rate of 15–20% through evidence-based training, recognition, and reward programs informed by original doctoral research.
Designed and implemented a new cashier training program that improved operational performance and reduced labor costs by 16%.
Implemented a 3-step ordering and inventory management process that eliminated out-of-stocks and reduced shrink from 5% to 0.2%.
Increased net profits 28% through price book optimization and inventory controls; grew monthly customer counts 13% (from 76,330 to 86,800) in a single year.
Negotiated a $2.7 million vendor contract with McAneny Brothers, saving 7% over the previous vendor.
Developed a comprehensive manager's guide to employee training incorporating learner-centered instructional design principles — the foundation for the C-Store Management Series.

November 2011 – April 2018

CoGo's Company — Pittsburgh, PA

Store Manager / District Training Resource

Deployed across 42 fuel station and convenience store locations throughout western and central PA, WV, and MD to resolve operational issues attributable to substandard leadership, poor recruiting, and inadequate training. Supervised up to 40 employees per location and managed monthly sales volumes of up to $200,000.

Developed manager training guides and delivered instruction to store managers and staff, successfully turning around performance at multiple stores previously targeted for closure.
Led cross-functional teams delivering leadership development courses in basic management principles, workplace diversity, and performance indicator analysis.
Reduced employee turnover from 65% to 25% through targeted training programs combined with a structured rewards system.
Resolved chronic staffing challenges by building strategic partnerships with local organizations, increasing the pool of prequalified applicants by 27%.
Achieved 12% sales growth at low-volume and inner-city locations — exceeding the targeted 4–8% increase — through improved in-store marketing and merchandising practices.
Awarded lead role on the Manager's Council and a vital role on the Leadership Council in recognition of training and operational contributions.

June 2007 – October 2010

Bolea Oil Products — Coraopolis, PA

Operations Manager

Improved multi-facility operational efficiencies, reducing costs by 17% and improving gross profit margin by 9%.
Negotiated supplier contracts that reduced costs by 7% and improved gross profit margin by 3%.
Reduced shrink by 22% through the implementation of structured loss prevention practices and procedures.

November 2002 – May 2007

First Step Farm of Western North Carolina (FSF) — Candler, NC

Operations Director

Oversaw operations of two commercial greenhouse facilities; collaborated directly with the board of directors to ensure adherence to the organization's mission and strategic goals.
Tripled greenhouse operations capacity while simultaneously reducing labor expense by 32% and heating costs by 27%.
Promoted to Operations Director as a direct result of demonstrated strategic leadership and measurable operational improvements.

1980 – 2001

Process Development and Control, Inc. (PDC) — Allentown, PA

Vice President of Manufacturing

Recruited to lead a turnaround of an unprofitable sister manufacturing facility experiencing significant output and quality control deficiencies.
Developed new operating procedures and standards, reallocated personnel, outsourced select processes, and retrained shop supervisors — leading the facility to profitability for the first time in five years.
Promoted to Vice President of Manufacturing in recognition of turnaround success and leadership effectiveness.

Education

Academic Credentials

Doctor of Philosophy

Organizational Development & Leadership

University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) · San Diego, CA

GPA: 3.98 · Graduated with Honors · 2023 · Emphasis: e-Learning

Dissertation: Convenience Store Employee Job Satisfaction — A quantitative research study examining industry-wide employee turnover causes, engagement drivers, and the development of effective training and recognition programs to increase organizational commitment. Research spanned C-store operations across 32 states.

Master of Arts

Human Services, Nonprofit Management

University of the Rockies · Denver, CO

GPA: 3.54

Focused on organizational behavior, human capital development, nonprofit management principles, and applied research in human services — providing the human-centered framework that underpins the C-Store Management Series approach to team building and retention.

Bachelor of Science

Business Administration

Robert Morris University · Coraopolis, PA

GPA: 3.25

Foundation in business management, financial analysis, marketing, and operations — directly applied over 25+ years of multi-unit retail leadership and the strategic business content throughout the C-Store Management Series.

Research & Scholarly Work

The Research Behind the Series

📋 Doctoral Dissertation (2023)

Dr. Boustead's Ph.D. dissertation — Convenience Store Employee Job Satisfaction — is the quantitative foundation for the entire C-Store Management Series. Conducted at the University of Arizona Global Campus, the research examined the causes of high employee turnover across the convenience store industry, analyzing data from stores in 32 states to identify the key drivers of engagement, training effectiveness, and organizational commitment.

Key Finding: Evidence-based training programs combined with structured recognition and reward systems are the primary levers for reducing C-store turnover — validated by Dr. Boustead's own real-world results: 65% → 15–20% turnover at FastStop Convenience Stores.

📚 Authored Works in the C-Store Management Series

All five books in the series translate peer-reviewed academic research and 25+ years of operational experience into practical, field-ready tools for working managers. Each book is grounded in the dissertation's findings and designed to be used directly on the job — no academic jargon, no theory for theory's sake.

D01: Stopping the Leak — turnover & retention

D02: Cashier Excellence — cashier training handbook

D03: C-Store Ethos — organizational culture

D04: Training the Trainers — district manager training guide

D05: Companion Workbook — downloadable forms & templates

Dr. Larry W. Boustead

25+ Years of Operational Leadership

Academic Credentials

The Research Behind the Series

📋 Doctoral Dissertation (2023)

📚 Authored Works in the C-Store Management Series

Academic & Professional Competencies

The C-Store Management Series

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