Austin Harkness
About Austin Harkness
Austin Harkness serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Sunoco LP, a position he has held since 2020. He has extensive experience in operations and customer experience, having previously worked at Yum! Brands and McKinsey & Company.
Current Role at Sunoco
Austin Harkness serves as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Sunoco LP, a position he has held since 2020. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing commercial strategies and initiatives that drive growth and enhance customer engagement. His leadership contributes to the company's operational success and market positioning within the fuel and convenience store industry. Harkness operates from the company's headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Previous Experience at Yum! Brands
Prior to his current role, Austin Harkness held multiple positions at Yum! Brands. He worked as the Director of Restaurant Standards & Customer Experience for one year in 2014-2015, and later served as Vice President of Operations from 2016 to 2017. Additionally, he was the Senior Director of Equity Operations for ten months in 2015-2016 and the Director of Customer Experience for six months in 2014. His tenure at Yum! Brands provided him with extensive experience in operational management and customer service strategies.
Experience at Honor
Austin Harkness worked as the Executive Vice President of Operations at Honor from 2017 to 2020. In this role, he focused on enhancing operational efficiencies and improving service delivery within the organization. His leadership during this period contributed to the company's growth and operational effectiveness in the home care industry, based in San Francisco, California.
Career at McKinsey & Company
Before his roles in the restaurant and home care industries, Austin Harkness was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company from 2009 to 2013. His work involved consulting on various projects, where he applied his analytical skills to address client challenges and improve business performance. This experience provided him with a strong foundation in strategic planning and operational improvement.
Education and Academic Background
Austin Harkness earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied in the Business Honors Program with a focus on Marketing Management from 1997 to 2001. He later pursued a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at the Texas McCombs School of Business, completing his degree from 2007 to 2009. His educational background equips him with a solid understanding of business principles and marketing strategies.