Susan Stackhouse, the founder and CEO of Stellar Partners, is retiring after leading the company for 30 years.
Padraig Drennan, president and COO since 2017, will take over the role of president and CEO of the HMSHost subsidiary.
“I am proud of Stellar’s success over the years,” says Stackhouse. “Now the time is right for me to step down. We recruited Padraig for this role because of his years of retail management experience. The company has grown under the leadership of a seasoned executive team and is poised to do great things in the industry with Padraig at the helm.”
HMSHost purchased Tampa-based Stellar Partners in 2016 for $12 million, marking the food and beverage giant’s re-entry into the airport retail business. Drennan was named president and COO in 2017.
Drennan is a veteran of the travel retail industry with an extensive career encompassing over 25 years of retail experience and over 10 years in airport retail. Prior to joining Stellar Partners, Drennan was a senior executive at both DFASS Group and World Duty Free, among other companies.
Stackhouse started Stellar Partners with one duty free store at Tampa International Airport more than 30 years ago, growing the company to 38 airport locations when HMSHost purchased it in 2016. .“Susan is a visionary in travel retail and her leadership has positioned Stellar to do even more great things in the future,” Drennan says. “I personally thank Susan for her guidance during our time together at Stellar and wish her well in retirement.”
