Company's founding CEO plans retirement, successor named

TAMPA — Stellar Partners Inc. founder and CEO Susan Stackhouse has announced her retirement after leading the Tampa-based airport retailer for 30 years.

According to a press release, Padraig Drennan, who has served as the company’s president and COO since 2017, will become CEO. He will remain president of Stellar, which operates more than 60 convenience and specialty stores — including Stellar News and Ron Jon Surf Shop — at 14 U.S. airports.

In 2016, the company reported $38.7 million in gross revenue, according to the Business Observer's Top 500 rankings, up from $36.3 million in 2015. 

“I am proud of Stellar’s success over the years,” Stackhouse states in the release. “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. I am confident that he will lead Stellar to new heights.”

Drennan, according to the release, brings more than 10 years of airport retail experience to his new role. He came to Stellar from DFASS Group, where he was COO. His career also includes general retail experience with Marks and Spencer, Gap and Disney Stores.

“Susan is a visionary in travel retail and her leadership has positioned Stellar to do even more great things in the future,” Drennan states in the release. “I personally thank Susan for her guidance during our time together at Stellar and wish her well in retirement. I am looking forward to continuing to expand Stellar’s impact. Our company is experiencing great growth, and we are eager to reach travelers in new airports with the industry’s best retail brands and experiences.”