Servant Leader

Chris Gheysens ’93 VSB is the President & CEO of Wawa, a chain of more than 950 convenience stores located in five Mid-Atlantic states, Florida and Washington, D.C. Wawa serves 1.6 million customers daily with friendly experiences that have received national accolades. But it is the company’s role in supporting local communities that gives Gheysens the greatest sense of fulfillment.  

Gheysens credits his Augustinian educational journey, which began at Saint Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, New Jersey and continued at Villanova University, with helping grow his emotional intelligence, personal values, and a sense of purpose.   

For Gheysens, his purpose centers around serving others. He recalls, “I learned early in life and had reinforcement throughout, especially at VSB, that how you treat others is a higher calling than profits or strategies as CEO.”  

That calling guided Gheysens and Wawa to participate in the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which culminated in Pope Francis’ visit. Beyond Gheysens’ participation on the Leadership Cabinet, Wawa associates provided more than 90,000 meals to feed 8,000 emergency responders, with hundreds of Wawa volunteers participating.  

It also led to the establishment of The Wawa Foundation, Wawa’s philanthropic arm. Since 2014, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have contributed $125 million to local communities through serving and supporting more than 6,000 non-profit partners. 

The Wawa Foundation’s purpose is Fulfilling Lives Every Day, by Building Stronger Communities. “One of the most important measures of true success is the impact we leave on the people and communities around us,” says Gheysens, “I’m convinced this will have a lasting impact for decades to come.”  

“My Villanova education taught me many business skills, but it also helped me grow personally and continue to develop my personal core values and my passion for servant leadership.”